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Las empresas del sector turístico han dejado evidenciada su capacidad de resiliencia ante retos como la pandemia derivada del COVID-19. Frente a estas fortalezas, todavía existen necesidades imperantes en el sector de alcanzar los niveles de sostenibilidad para atender a las demandas legales y sociales actuales. Ante esta situación, se requiere conocer qué factores permiten impulsar estrategias responsables que permitan alcanzar dichas metas, para ello la investigación académica ha centrado la atención en los factores internos a la organización, quedando los factores externos, capaces de potenciar las carencias individuales de cada empresa, relegados a un segundo plano. Con el ánimo de poder atender este gap, en la presente investigación se analiza la influencia de la localización y, concretamente, el efecto que el capital social o la ambidestreza interorganizativa (tradicionalmente desarrolladas en entornos de aglomeración especializados) pueden ejercer sobre el desarrollo de estrategias de Responsabilidad Social Corporativa (RSC) por parte de los hoteles. A nivel metodológico, por un lado, se calcula el grado de aglomeración de los Sistemas Locales de Trabajo (SLTs) conformados por municipios de la costa española para, posteriormente, contrastar empíricamente el modelo teórico mediante la técnica Partial Least Squares (PLS), aplicándola sobre una muestra de 202 hoteles, lo que permite obtener resultados válidos para la investigación y los managers de los hoteles. Así, se demuestra la existencia de un efecto mediador ejercido por la ambidestreza interorganizativa que denota la relevancia de dicha capacidad para el desarrollo óptimo de estrategias de RSC, además del impacto directo que ejerce el capital social sobre estas estrategias, lo que indica la importancia de atender a variables externas a la organización, cuya caracterización implique la colaboración entre distintos agentes en territorios especializados, lo que permitirá obtener sinergias de los conocimiento, Tourism companies have demonstrated their resilience in the face of challenges such as the pandemic resulting from COVID-19. In spite of these strengths, there are still prevailing needs in the sector to reach levels of sustainability in order to meet current legal and social demands. Given this situation, it is necessary to know what factors enable responsible strategies to be promoted that allow these goals to be achieved, for which academic research has focused attention on internal factors within the organisation, leaving external factors, capable of enhancing the individual shortcomings of each company, relegated to a secondary role. In order to address this gap, this research analyses the influence of location and, specifically, the effect that social capital or inter-organisational interambidexterity (traditionally developed in specialised agglomeration environments) can have on the development of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategies by hotels. At the methodological level, on the one hand, the degree of agglomeration of Local Labour Systems (LLSc) made up of municipalities on the Spanish coast is calculated and, subsequently, the theoretical model is empirically tested using the PLS technique, applying it to a sample of 202 hotels, which allows valid results to be obtained for the research and the hotel managers. Thus, the existence of a mediating effect exerted by organisational ambidexterity is demonstrated, which denotes the relevance of this capacity for the optimal development of CSR strategies, in addition to the direct impact exerted by social capital on these strategies, which indicates the importance of paying attention to external variables to the organisation whose characterisation implies collaboration between different agents in specialised areas, which will allow synergies to be obtained from the existing knowledge and resources in these areas.

En la publicidad de teléfonos inteligentes de alta gama, los fabricantes emplean unidades terminológicas complejas y préstamos; a menudo, acuñan neologismos, así como denominaciones propias para destacar la singularidad de su producto, atrayendo así la atención del consumidor. En el presente trabajo, nos planteamos analizar las páginas publicitarias de España, Estados Unidos y Reino Unido de los últimos dispositivos móviles de alta gama de Apple: iPhone 15 y 15 Plus, de la gama premium, y iPhone 15 Pro y 15 Pro Max, de la gama ultra premium. Nuestros objetivos incluyen explorar y comparar el uso de unidades técnicas y denominaciones propias al que recurre la compañía para promocionar los productos en los sitios web estadounidenses, así como analizar sus respectivas localizaciones para el mercado español y británico. Para ello, llevamos a cabo un análisis sistemático del texto presente en los sitios web. En primer lugar, analizamos las marcas registradas y nombres propios que forman parte de la terminología idiolectal de la empresa y ensalzan la identidad propia del producto. En cuanto al uso de unidades técnicas como estrategia publicitaria, los datos revelan que el sitio web de los dispositivos más caros contiene 58 unidades, frente a las 14 de los móviles más económicos. Estos resultados apuntan que la empresa ha intentado diferenciar entre las dos series de productos a través de la terminología, adaptando la publicidad a dos perfiles de consumidores distintos: por un lado, un usuario más exigente y formado en tecnología y, por otro lado, uno menos interesado en este ámbito. Además, tanto la página española como la británica hacen patente un esfuerzo por la adaptación a la locale específica. Como técnicas de traducción, de forma generalizada, observamos el uso de creaciones discursivas y equivalentes acuñados para conferir dinamicidad y naturalidad al texto meta, así como para adaptarlo a la cultura receptora. Asimismo, detectamos el empleo de amplificaciones para, In the advertising of high-end smartphones, manufacturers use complex terminology units and loanwords and often coin their own neologisms as well as commercial names to highlight the uniqueness of their product attracting consumer attention. In this paper, we set out to analyse the advertising websites for Spain, US and UK of Apple’s latest high-end mobile devices: iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, from the premium range, and iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, from the ultra-premium range. Our objectives include exploring and comparing the use of technical units and commercial names implemented by the company to promote the products in the American websites, as well as analysing their respective localisations for the Spanish and British markets. To achieve these aims, we carried out a systematic analysis of the text included on the websites. First of all, we analysed the trademarks and commercial names, which are part of the company’s idiolectal terminology and highlight the product’s own identity. In regards to the use of technical units as an advertising strategy, the data reveal that the website of the most expensive devices contains 58 units, compared to 14 units in the case of the cheaper models. These results suggest that the company has tried to differentiate between the two series of products through terminology, adapting the advertising to two different consumer profiles: a more tech-savvy user and a less demanding one. On the other hand, both Spanish and British sites make a clear effort to adapt to the specific locale. As for the translation techniques, in general, we observe the use of discursive creations and coined equivalents to give dynamism and authenticity to the target text and adapt it to the target culture. We also detected the use of amplifications to clarify certain vague units to the consumer, as well as the use of expressive morphological procedures, such as appreciative suffixation and prefixation as well as loanwords, given the status of English as a lang

Video game quality assurance (QA) is vital to ensuring a high-quality gaming experience across different languages and regions. Competent localisation testers are expected to have advanced language skills, exceptional attention to detail, and familiarity with the game they are testing. However, individual testing performance differs, prompting the question of what constitutes a proficient localisation tester. In this study, students (N = 43) from the degree in Translation and Interpreting from the University of Alicante and the Specialist degree in Translation for the Video Game Industry from the University of Vigo were asked to test a localised video game which contained deliberate errors introduced for the purpose of this study. Subsequently, they completed questionnaires regarding localisation-related attitudes, personality traits, and trait anxiety levels. The results of various bivariate correlation and multivariate linear regression analyses indicate that translation expertise, low emotional stability, and a preference for screen reading were significant predictors of higher error detection rates. Furthermore, other variables such as attitudes towards video games, punctiliousness, and reading speed correlated with error detection in video game localisation testing. These findings may contribute to the enhancement of tester selection and training processes, resulting in superior localisations and more satisfying player experiences across diverse languages and cultures.

In this work, we consider space-time goal-oriented a posteriori error estimation for parabolic problems. Temporal and spatial discretizations are based on Galerkin finite elements of continuous and discontinuous type. The main objectives are the development and analysis of space-time estimators, in which the localization is based on a weak form employing a partition-of-unity. The resulting error indicators are used for temporal and spatial adaptivity. Our developments are substantiated with several numerical examples.

A solution for the three-dimensional (3D) hyper-accurate localization in indoor environment for mobile equipment problem can be based on radar systems. Mobile equipment with an integrated radar system is known as a joint radar-communication (JRC) system or a joint communication and sensing (JCAS) system. The paper proposes an approach for 3D hyper-accurate localization in indoor environment without modifications of cellular network infrastructure. The simulations and experiments show the feasibility of the proposal. © 2024 IEEE.

Dans le cadre de notre recherche approfondie au sein des industries minières canadiennes, notre objectif est de renforcer les réseaux de communication souterrains à l'aide de solutions sans fil innovantes, essentielles pour améliorer la productivité et garantir une coordination efficace entre les équipes. Notre étude s'est concentrée sur la précision de localisation des dispositifs mobiles dans les environnements souterrains, grâce à une analyse détaillée de l’état de canal sans fils (CSI). Notre méthodologie s'est développée en deux phases distinctes de collecte de données CSI. La première a impliqué l'utilisation de cartes NIC5300, puis l'adoption de modules ESP32 pour une collecte plus approfondie. Cette approche a permis de couvrir exhaustivement un espace intérieur. Un volet crucial de notre recherche réside dans l'ajustement minutieux des paramètres de canal, visant à optimiser la performance des réseaux de neurones artificiels (ANN) pour la localisation précise des dispositifs mobiles en milieu souterrain. Nous avons évalué rigoureusement différentes configurations de perceptrons multicouches (MLP) et avons utilisé des outils avancés tels que Tensor Flow et Scikit-learn pour déterminer la configuration offrant la meilleure précision de localisation.

At the World Humanitarian Summit in 2016, an agreement was made between some of thelargest international humanitarian organizations and donors to implement measures toenhance partnerships between international and local humanitarian organizations, in an effortto localize humanitarian responses. Since then, criticism has been raised that there exists agap between policy and practice in relation to localization and partnerships, arguing that nosubstantial effort is being placed to address uneven power dynamics or decision-makingpower within these local/international partnerships. This thesis utilized a case-study approachon Christian Aid´s Rohingya Crisis Response in Bangladesh, conducted in collaboration withlocal partners to examine barriers in creating equitable partnerships between international andlocal humanitarian organizations, as well as possible actions to facilitate partnership equity.A theoretical framework on equitable partnership is constructed based on the components ofequality, mutuality and transparency, informed by partnership practices of thee humanitarianpartnerships, and analyzed in relation to practices by Christian Aid in their partnership. The findings show that primary barriers to facilitating partnerships that are equitable includethe exclusion of the local partner in key processes, such as operational planning anddecision-making, lack of mutual understanding of differences in skills and capacity, resultingin responsibilities that are not clearly defined and limited opportunities for complementarity.This amounts to the conclusion that Christian Aid´s partnership lacked any actual transfer ofpower to the local partner, thus facilitating a partnership that remains hierarchical in practice.Possible actions identified to mitigate this is to jointly define support needs and capacity,create space for negotiation and flexibility, and actively include the local partner indecision-making. The findings underline that the theoretical components of equit

Since 2013, Cameroon has been a priority area for humanitarian action, and international expertise has long been used to evaluate and monitor humanitarian projects in this country. However, COVID-19 imposed restrictions on international mobility, causing access issues for outside experts, a process that had already begun prior to the pandemic. Indeed, COVID-19 merely exacerbated the immobility of international aid agencies that first started with the security crisis. So, while these agencies have long been reluctant to hand over the evaluation of humanitarian projects to local experts, the combination of security and health crisis has forced them to overcome this reluctance. Using the 'window of opportunity' model (Kingdon, 1984), this article shows how Cameroonian experts have benefited from the stagnation and immobility of international expertise in the country to take on the task of evaluating humanitarian projects. This repositioning in favour of local expertise has contributed to a redefinition of the power asymmetries between the Global North and South and of the relations of domination between national and international experts., Le Cameroun, depuis 2013, apparait comme un champ privilégié des interventions humanitaires. Celles-ci, en matière d’évaluation des projets, ont longtemps été effectuées par le recours à une expertise internationale. Mais les restrictions à la mobilité internationale imposées par le COVID-19 ont favorisé l’immobilisme de cette expertise, immobilisme qui existait déjà avant la pandémie. Le COVID-19 n’a fait qu’exacerber un processus déjà amorcé par des crises sécuritaires. Si les organisations de solidarité internationale ont longtemps hésité à transférer l’exécution des évaluations des projets humanitaires aux expert.e.s locaux.ales, la crise sécuritaire et sanitaire a permis de surmonter cette réticence. En s’appuyant sur les apports du modèle de la « fenêtre d’opportunité » (Kingdon, 1984), l’article démontre comment les expert.e.s camerounais.e.s ont bénéficié de l’absence d’expertise internationale (immobilisme) pour prendre en charge les missions d’évaluation des projets humanitaires. Ce repositionnement en faveur de l’expertise locale aurait contribué à une redéfinition des asymétries Nord-Sud et des rapports de domination entre expert.e.s nationaux.ales et internationaux.ales.

Localisation of humanitarian aid has emerged as a major issue after the World Humanitarian Summit in 2016 which emphasised the importance of locally-led response as a corrective to power imbalances in the humanitarian system. However, the practical complexities of localised humanitarian aid are yet to be fully discussed. This paper aims to examine the concept of localisation in humanitarian aid through a case study of a local non-governmental organisation, the Cambodian Children's Trust (CCT), in Cambodia. Drawing on the framework of localisation proposed by Baguios et al., (2021), we analyse the application of localisation of child protection programs run by CCT. We provide a holistic understanding of how localisation is conducted in practice, and the impacts it has on the wider humanitarian sector. Our study illustrates that power can be effectively developed to local entities and localisation with empowerment could be achieved despite highly challenging conditions.

Localisation of humanitarian aid has emerged as a major issue after the World Humanitarian Summit in 2016 which emphasised the importance of locally-led response as a corrective to power imbalances in the humanitarian system. However, the practical complexities of localised humanitarian aid are yet to be fully discussed. This paper aims to examine the concept of localisation in humanitarian aid through a case study of a local non-governmental organisation, the Cambodian Children's Trust (CCT), in Cambodia. Drawing on the framework of localisation proposed by Baguios et al., (2021), we analyse the application of localisation of child protection programs run by CCT. We provide a holistic understanding of how localisation is conducted in practice, and the impacts it has on the wider humanitarian sector. Our study illustrates that power can be effectively developed to local entities and localisation with empowerment could be achieved despite highly challenging conditions.

At the World Humanitarian Summit in 2016, an agreement was made between some of thelargest international humanitarian organizations and donors to implement measures toenhance partnerships between international and local humanitarian organizations, in an effortto localize humanitarian responses. Since then, criticism has been raised that there exists agap between policy and practice in relation to localization and partnerships, arguing that nosubstantial effort is being placed to address uneven power dynamics or decision-makingpower within these local/international partnerships. This thesis utilized a case-study approachon Christian Aid´s Rohingya Crisis Response in Bangladesh, conducted in collaboration withlocal partners to examine barriers in creating equitable partnerships between international andlocal humanitarian organizations, as well as possible actions to facilitate partnership equity.A theoretical framework on equitable partnership is constructed based on the components ofequality, mutuality and transparency, informed by partnership practices of thee humanitarianpartnerships, and analyzed in relation to practices by Christian Aid in their partnership. The findings show that primary barriers to facilitating partnerships that are equitable includethe exclusion of the local partner in key processes, such as operational planning anddecision-making, lack of mutual understanding of differences in skills and capacity, resultingin responsibilities that are not clearly defined and limited opportunities for complementarity.This amounts to the conclusion that Christian Aid´s partnership lacked any actual transfer ofpower to the local partner, thus facilitating a partnership that remains hierarchical in practice.Possible actions identified to mitigate this is to jointly define support needs and capacity,create space for negotiation and flexibility, and actively include the local partner indecision-making. The findings underline that the theoretical components of equit

This article uses coloniality as an analytical framework to critique the concept of localisation. It argues that localisation is inadequate to respond to the asymmetrical power dynamic that it seeks to dislodge. Fundamentally, this is because localisation does not account for coloniality, which is the underlying logic of colonialism embedded within the humanitarian sector. Positionality and funding are two factors that enable organisations in the ‘Global North’ to remain powerful even through localisation, but this article goes further to interrogate how epistemic and methodological coloniality reinforces andmaintains subordination of organisations in the ‘Global South.’ Ironically, localisation seeks to recognise knowledge and experience from the ‘local’, but largely, this knowledge and experience must be produced through the methods and systems of the ‘Global North’. This is self-defeating because institutions in the ‘Global North’ gatekeep methods and practices and perpetuate a capacity gap that prevents effective localisation., Cet article utilise le cadre analytique de la colonialité pour montrer les faiblesses du concept de localisation. Il soutient que pour rompre la dynamique asymétrique de pouvoir et réduire les inégalités existantes, le concept de localisation n’est pas adéquat. En effet, la localisation ne tient pas compte de la colonialité, la logique sous-jacente du colonialisme, qui est ancrée au sein du secteur humanitaire. La position et le financement sont aussi deux facteurs permettant aux organisations des pays du Nord de rester dominantes, même dans les contextes où la localisation est appliquée. Cet article va encore plus loin et questionne la manière dont la colonialité épistémique et méthodologique renforce et maintient la subordination des organisations des pays du Sud. La localisation cherche à mettre en lumière et reconnaitre les connaissances et l'expérience locales, toutefois, ironiquement, ces connaissances et cette expérience doivent souvent être produites à l'aide des méthodes et des systèmes des pays du Nord. Cette dynamique va donc à l’encontre du but recherché, car les institutions des pays du Nord contrôlent les méthodes et les pratiques et maintiennent ainsi le manque de capacite qui empêchent l’instauration d’une localisation efficace.

Humanitarian localisation seeks to make aid more equitable and effective by empowering local actors. However, ambiguity surrounding the definition of 'local actors' hinders progress in this direction. Despite growing discussions on localisation, there remains a significant gap in understanding the role and consideration of grassroots actors within humanitarian discourse. This article aims to critically review some of the discourse on humanitarian localisation, particularly focusing on the consideration given to grassroots actors, to address this gap and foster a deeper understanding of their significance. Using a scoping review, the article analyses three key articles published between 2020-22, examining their consideration of grassroots actors and concepts within the context of humanitarian localisation. While specific explorations of the idea of 'grassroots' are limited, the reviewed articles reveal critical engagement with related concepts, such as the emergent transnational, transcultural and translocal dynamics that are challenging traditional notions of local action. Expanding the understanding of grassroots beyond traditional boundaries is essential for promoting local empowerment and more effective and inclusive localisation efforts in humanitarian responses. Acknowledging grassroots actors as distinct stakeholders is crucial for advancing equitable and impactful humanitarian practices., Le principal but de la localisation de l'aide humanitaire est de rendre l'aide plus équitable et plus efficace en responsabilisant les acteur.rice.s locaux.ales. Cependant, l'ambiguïté qui entoure la définition des acteur.rice.s locaux.ales entrave l’atteinte de cet objectif. Malgré les discussions de plus en plus présentes sur la localisation dans le secteur humanitaire, il reste des lacunes importantes dans la compréhension du rôle et dans la prise en compte des groupes « grassroots »[1] au sein du secteur. Afin de combler ces lacunes et de favoriser une compréhension plus profonde de l’importance de ces groupes, cet article examine de manière critique le discours sur la localisation humanitaire, en se concentrant particulièrement sur la prise en compte de ces acteur.rice.s. À l'aide d'une étude exploratoire, ce document analyse trois articles clés publiés entre 2020 et 2022, et examine de quelle manière les groupes « grassroots » et les concepts de base de la localisation sont définis. Bien que la prise en compte directe des membres de la société civile soit limitée, les articles examinés révèlent par contre un engagement important envers certains concepts connexes, tels que les dynamiques transnationales, transculturelles et translocales qui remettent en question les notions traditionnelles de l’action locale. Si nous souhaitons promouvoir l'autonomisation locale et des efforts de localisation plus efficaces et plus inclusifs dans la réponse humanitaire, il est essentiel d'élargir la compréhension de cette population au-delà des frontières traditionnelles. Si nous voulons instaurer des pratiques humanitaires équitables et efficaces, reconnaitre que les individus provenant des mouvements « grassroots » représentent des parties prenantes distinctes est cruciale. [1] N.d.T Les lecteur.rices trouveront le terme anglais “grassroots” tout au long de l’article. La traductrice de ce texte a jugé préférable de conserver ce terme dans sa langue d’origine, ce choix répond

This paper investigates the potential of augmented reality (AR) as a navigational aid for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), offering innovative solutions to the evolving challenges of AD care. As the disease progresses, patients often require more assistance and may transition to care centers, resulting in reduced independence. Prior to this, home-based care aims to stimulate cognitive functions and preserve autonomy. To enhance their freedom and mobility, it is proposed to leverage AR technology to create a first-person navigational aid addressing the unique needs of AD patients. The research confronts two primary challenges: firstly, exploring the design of AR navigational aids customized for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease adapted to outdoor use. Then, it aims to develop an outdoor localization system for the HoloLens 2 and evaluate its performance. Despite limitations induced by the approximate positioning, various types of aids compatible with the technical constraints faced have been envisioned. A set of features was implemented using the optical see-through AR headset HoloLens 2. These features included two distinct types of holograms (Arrow and Wind) and the ability to catch user attention prior to turns, allowing us to explore the effectiveness of these design choices. They were evaluated through a user study involving 15 healthy participants. Usability and task load were measured with Nasa-TLX and SUS questionnaires. An approximate positioning for outdoor use of the HoloLens 2 was elaborated using a smartphone as a GPS receiver, and a Kalman filter for filtering and fusion with IMU data. This enables to reach positioning accuracy at the meter level. This research demonstrates the promising utility of AR in assisting navigation in outdoor environments. Despite few significant results, the Arrow hologram appears to be a better fit for usability and users’ personal preferences. Further research is needed to get significant results on the impact, Denna artikel utforskar potentialen hos förstärkt verklighet (AR) som navigationshjälpmedel för personer med Alzheimers sjukdom (AD) och erbjuder innovativa lösningar inom AD-vård. När sjukdomen fortskrider behöver patienterna mer hjälp och kan övergå till vårdcentraler, vilket minskar deras självständighet. Hemvård strävar efter att stimulera kognitiva funktioner och bevara autonomi. Vi föreslår utnyttja AR-teknologi för en skräddarsydd navigeringshjälp i första person för AD-patienters behov. Forskningen möter två utmaningar: att utforska AR-navigeringshjälpmedel för personer med Alzheimers sjukdom och anpassade för utomhusanvändning. Vi strävar efter att utveckla utomhuslokaliseringssystem för HoloLens 2 och utvärdera prestanda. Trots begränsningar på grund av ungefärlig positionering kan vi föreställa oss hjälpmedel som är kompatibla med tekniska begränsningar. Vi använde HoloLens 2 med funktioner som två hologramtyper och användaruppmärksamhetsfångst före svängar, utvärderat med 15 deltagare. Vi skapade ungefärlig positionering för HoloLens 2 utomhus med en smartphone som GPS-mottagare, med Kalman-filtrering och IMU-fusion för meter-noggrannhet. Forskningen visar AR:s lovande nytta i utomhusnavigering. Trots få signifikanta resultat verkar pilhologrammet passa användbarhet och preferenser bättre. Mer forskning behövs för att bedöma adaptiva hjälpmedels effekter. Användningen av AR-navigeringshjälpmedel utomhus begränsas av dålig synlighet och låg positionsnoggrannhet., Cet article explore le potentiel de la réalité augmentée (RA) comme aide à la navigation pour les personnes atteintes de la maladie d’Alzheimer (MA), offrant une solution novatrice aux défis en constante évolution des soins liés à la MA. À mesure que la maladie progresse, les patients ont souvent besoin d’une assistance accrue et sont transférés dans des centres de soins, ce qui diminue leur indépendance. Avant cela, les soins à domicile visent à stimuler leurs fonctions cognitives et à préserver leur autonomie. Dans cette optique, nous proposons d’utiliser la RA pour créer une aide à la navigation à la première personne adaptée aux besoins spécifiques des patients atteints de la MA. La recherche aborde deux défis principaux : la conception d’aides à la navigation en RA pour les personnes atteintes de la MA, adaptées à une utilisation en extérieur, et le développement d’un système de localisation en extérieur pour HoloLens 2, suivi de son évaluation. Malgré les limitations liées au positionnement approximatif, nous avons envisagé différents types d’aides compatibles avec ces contraintes techniques. Nous avons mis en place un ensemble de fonctionnalités en utilisant le casque de RA HoloLens 2. Ces fonctionnalités incluent deux types d’hologrammes (Flèche et Vent) et la capacité à attirer l’attention de l’utilisateur avant les virages, nous permettant d’explorer l’efficacité de ces choix de conception. Ils ont été évalués lors d’une étude avec 15 participants en bonne santé. Nous avons élaboré une méthode de positionnement approximatif pour une utilisation en extérieur de l’HoloLens 2 en utilisant un smartphone comme récepteur GPS, avec un filtre de Kalman pour le filtrage et la fusion avec des données inertielles, permettant d’atteindre une précision de positionnement au mètre. Cette recherche démontre l’utilité prometteuse de la RA dans l’assistance à la navigation en extérieur, bien que des recherches supplémentaires soient nécessaires pour obtenir des résultats si

The field of quantum simulations has achieved a remarkable success through the development of highly controllable and accessible quantum platforms, which pro- vide insights into the microscopic properties of complex large-scale systems that are otherwise difficult to analyze. Many of the platforms utilized in this pursuit are derived from the field of atomic, molecular, and optical physics. One particularly popular candidate is provided by trapped ions, whose vibrational and electronic degrees of freedom can be effectively combined through laser pulses to engineer desired model Hamiltonians or quantum circuits. Trapped ions constitute as well the basis for modern atomic clocks, the most precise frequency standards currently available. They find further applications in metrology, geodesy, and fundamental physics experiments. In this Thesis, we investigate the dynamics of vibrational modes in trapped ion crystals, utilizing them as a versatile platform to explore various many-body phenomena. We first focus on the expansion dynamics of local excitations and on heat transport within ion crystals hosting structural defects that undergo a sliding- to-pinned transition. We observe a significant reduction in conductivity when the crystal symmetry is spontaneously broken during the transition, and show that resonances between crystal eigenmodes lead to distinct softening signatures associated with energy localization. We then delve into the effects of thermal and quantum fluctuations on the vibrational modes of ion crystals near two distinct structural transitions. We observe the emergence of a prolonged symmetric phase stabilized by thermal and quantum fluctuations, and develop effective theories that reduce the degrees of freedom to the modes that drive the transitions. Finally, we discuss how to engineer spin-orbit coupling and on-site interaction energies for vibrational quantum excitations using two different external driving schemes. While the simulation of spin models

The geographical location of companies is a factor of competitiveness, where the conditions of large urban concentrations influence it. The objective of the research was to identify the dynamic capacities of absorption and innovation valuing them as a source of competitiveness in SMEs according to their location. The research universe was SMEs located in 11 cities in the state of Michoacán, México. The results were contrasted based on their location, showing that the indicators Ability to respond to changes, Customer Service and Business Networks belonging to the Absorption Capacity are statistically significant, as well as the dependent variable Competitiveness. No significant differences were found in the influence of the location of companies on their competitiveness. It is concluded that business networks are necessary for companies to generate new knowledge, taking advantage of it to innovate in products, services and processes to create new sources of income and be more competitive., La localisation géographique des entreprises est un facteur de compétitivité, où les conditions des grandes concentrations urbaines l’influencent. L’objectif de cette recherche était d’identifier les capacités dynamiques d’absorption et d’innovation, en les évaluant comme une source de compétitivité dans les PME en fonction de leur localisation. L’univers de recherche était constitué de PME situées dans 11 villes de l’État de Michoacán, au Mexique. Les résultats ont été contrastés en fonction de leur localisation, montrant que les indicateurs Capacité à répondre au changement, Attention aux clients et Réseaux d’entreprises appartenant à la Capacité d’absorption sont statistiquement significatifs, ainsi que la variable dépendante Compétitivité. Aucune différence significative n’a été trouvée quant à l’influence de la localisation des entreprises sur leur compétitivité. La conclusion est que les réseaux d’entreprises sont nécessaires pour que les entreprises génèrent de nouvelles connaissances et en tirent parti pour innover dans les produits, les services et les processus afin de créer de nouvelles sources de revenus et d’être plus compétitives., A localização geográfica das empresas é um fator de competitividade, onde as condições das grandes concentrações urbanas a influenciam. O objetivo desta investigação foi identificar as capacidades dinâmicas de absorção e inovação, avaliando-as como uma fonte de competitividade nas PME, de acordo com a sua localização. O universo da investigação foram as PME localizadas em 11 cidades do estado de Michoacán, no México. Os resultados foram contrastados com base na sua localização, mostrando que os indicadores Capacidade de resposta à mudança, Atenção aos clientes e Redes de negócios pertencentes à Capacidade de absorção são estatisticamente significativos, assim como a variável dependente Competitividade. Não foram encontradas diferenças significativas quanto à influência da localização das empresas na sua competitividade. Conclui-se que as redes de negócios são necessárias para que as empresas gerem novos conhecimentos, aproveitando-os para inovar em produtos, serviços e processos, de forma a criar novas fontes de rendimento e serem mais competitivas., La localización geográfica de las empresas es factor de competitividad, donde las condiciones de las grandes concentraciones urbanas influyen en la misma. El objetivo de la investigación fue identificar las capacidades dinámicas de absorción e innovación, valuándolas como fuente de competitividad en pymes de acuerdo con su localización. El universo de investigación fueron pymes ubicadas en 11 ciudades del estado de Michoacán, México. Se contrastaron los resultados con base en su localización, mostrando que los indicadores Habilidad para responder a cambios, Atención a clientes y Redes empresariales pertenecientes a la Capacidad de Absorción son estadísticamente significativos, así como la variable dependiente Competitividad. No se encontraron diferencias significativas sobre la influencia de la localización de las empresas en su competitividad. Se concluye que las redes empresariales son necesarias para que las empresas puedan generar nuevo conocimiento, aprovechándolo para innovar en productos, servicios y procesos para crear nuevas fuentes de ingreso y ser más competitivas

The sub-THz and THz frequency ranges, that have been designated for astronomy and military, are now considered for the next generation of cellular networks. Radar systems operating in these frequency ranges are popular. Sharing the same radio frequency (RF) resources of cellular networks and radar systems opens the great potential to integrate radar system on mobile equipment. With this integration, the radar applications based on detection and ranging are available for mobile equipment. Realizing synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is also possible due to the movement of the mobile equipment that helps to synthesize an aperture larger than the physical aperture of the mobile equipment. Precise active localization in indoor environment is therefore feasible. The paper presents a discussion about active localization by realizing monostatic, bistatic, multistatic and passive SAR on mobile equipment with an integrated radar system. The simulation and experiment results shows the feasibility of the proposal. © 2023 IEEE.

Mobile equipment with an integrated radar system allows active localization by realizing monostatic, bistatic, multistatic and passive SAR. For mobile user localization, it is also possible by implementing backprojection at base station. In the paper, an approach for precise mobile user localization by implementing backprojection at base station is proposed. The simulation shows the feasibility of the proposal. Some technical issues such as accuracy and backprojection ambiguity, are also addressed. The practicality of the proposal is also demonstrated with a practical frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar system and a monostatic radar measurement based on the system. © 2023 IEEE.

While UbiComp research has steadily improved the performance of localisation systems, the analysis of such datasets remains largely unaddressed. We present a tool to facilitate the querying and analysis of localisation time-series with a focus on semantic localisation. We developed a conceptual framework based on the idea of strongly-typed spaces, represented as symbolic coordinates. We also demonstrate its power and flexibility through an implementation of the framework and its application on a real-life case indoor localisation scenario.

The most commonly used localisation methods, such as GPS, rely on external signals to generate an estimate of the location. There is a need of systems which are independent of external signals in order to increase the robustness of the localisation capabilities. In this thesis a visual-inertial SLAM-based localisation system which utilises detailed map, image, IMU, and odometry data, is presented and evaluated. The system utilises factor graphs through Georgia Tech Smoothing and Mapping (GTSAM) library, developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The thesis contributes with performance evaluations for different camera and landmark settings in a localisation system based on GTSAM. Within the visual SLAM field, the thesis also contributes with a sparse landmark selection and a low image frequency approach to the localisation problem. A variety of camera-related settings, such as image frequency and amount of visible landmarks per image, are used to evaluate the system. The findings show that the estimate improve with a higher image frequency, and does also improve if the image frequency was held constant along the tracks. Having more than one landmark per image result in a significantly better estimate. The estimate is not accurate when only using one distant landmark throughout the track, but it is significantly better if two complementary landmarks are identified briefly along the tracks. The estimate can also handle time periods where no landmarks can be identified while maintaining a good estimate.

TBI stands for Traumatic Brain Injury and refers to damage to the brain resulting from an external physical force, such as a blow, jolt, or penetrating injury to the head. Common causes of TBI include falls, motor vehicle accidents, sports injuries, and violence and has been linked to thousands of deaths and injuries in the US and the EU alike. This thesis was aimed to localise certain TBI to a specific part of the brain by exerting similar loading conditions on an Finite Element Method (FEM) of the rat brain as physical experiments conducted on living rats. By comparing the strain in 7 vital parts of the brain to injury diagnosis conducted in the physical experiments, an effort was made to link localised strain to injury diagnosis. The results indicate that strain in the thalamus and hypothalamus are linked with a loss of consciousness while strain in the hypothalamus coupled with the neocortex correlates greatly with activity-based behaviour changes. Lastly, injury associated with emotional changes are believed to stem from large strains in the neocortex. There is a theory suggesting that the structure of myeline, which provides support in motion and movement patterns of biological systems in humans and animals (known as biomechanical kinematics), could have an impact. However, more studies are needed to confirm and determine the exact cause., TBI, från engelskans Traumatic Brain Injury, står för Traumatisk Hjärn Skada och syftar på en skada i hjärnan till följd av enyttre fysisk kraft, såsom ett slag, stöt eller genomträngande skada i huvudet. Vanliga orsaker till TBI inkluderar fall, motorfordonsolyckor, sportskador och våld och har kopplats till tusentals dödsfall och skadade i både USA och EU. Denna rapport syftar till att försöka lokalisera viss TBI till en specifik del av hjärnan genom att utöva liknandebelastningsförhållanden på en finit elementmetod (FEM) modell av råtthjärnan som fysiska experimentutförs på levande råttor. Genom att jämföra belastningen i 7 vitala delar av hjärnan med skadediagnos som utfördes i de fysiska experimenten gjordes en ansträngning för att koppla lokaliserad belastning till skadediagnos. Resultaten indikerar att skada i thalamus och hypotalamus är kopplade till en förlust av medvetande medan belastning i hypotalamus i kombination med neocortex korrelerar kraftigtmed aktivitetsbaserade beteendeförändringar. Slutligen är skador i samband med känslomässiga förändringartros härröra från skada i neocortex. Det finns teori som tyder på attstruktur av myelin, som ger stöd i rörelse och rörelsemönster av biologiskasystem hos människor och djur (känd som biomekanisk kinematik), kan ha en inverkan.Det behövs dock fler studier för att bekräfta och fastställa den exakta orsaken.

Bioinspired robots are becoming more and more common and getting inspired by the solutions found in nature to tackle problems is often useful. Regarding the swimming robots Ąeld of research, we can get inspiration from swimming snakes. In the last twenty years several snake-like swimming robots have been conceived as their slender shape can allow more freedom in movements. It also may be less intrusive in an underwater environment. One problem encountered in swimming snake robots is to stabilize it on water surface and to control the head movement. Due to its shape it is very sensitive to rolling motion. A way to counter this is inspired by the swimming of the cottonmouth snake. By rotating its modules the robot can play on the buoyancy effect and gravity to stay stabilized and this would allow to stabilize the gaze of the robot. For that however we need to be able to locate the head, relatively to the water surface to have an absolute position of each module. The goal of this thesis is to conceive a perception module that would be able to reproduce the senses a cottonmouth snake uses to stabilize itself on the water surface. In order to achieve this an Inertial Measurement Unit is used to reproduce the information a snake gets from its inner ear. Distance sensors imitate the snakeŠs vision and provide an estimate of the distance of the head from the water surface. The perception module should be able to follow the movement of the snake robotŠs head relatively to the water surface. One of the challenges is that this module should be operational speciĄcally on water. To test the performances of the conceived perception module a hardware solution is presented in this thesis to simulate the movements of the robotŠs head above a water tank. This structure allows the perception module to do simple movements such as sinusoidal waves along the z axis or the movements the robot head would do when it is slightly disturbed, according to the simulation of that robot. The resul, Bioinspirerade robotar blir allt vanligare och det är ofta bra att låta sig inspireras av lösningar som Ąnns i naturen för att lösa problem. När det gäller forskningsområdet simulerande robotar kan vi inspireras av simulerande ormar. Under de senaste tjugo åren har Ćera ormliknande simrobotar utformats eftersom deras smala form ger större rörelsefrihet. Den kan också vara mindre påträngande i en undervattensmiljö. Ett problem med simmande ormrobotar är att stabilisera dem på vattenytan och att kontrollera huvudets rörelser. På grund av sin form är den mycket känslig för rullande rörelser. Ett sätt att motverka detta är inspirerat av vattenmockasinets simning: ett projekt vid IMT Atlantique-robotlabbet går ut på att arbeta med kroppens form genom att Ćytta robotens olika moduler. Genom att rotera modulerna kan roboten spela på Ćytkraften och gravitationen för att hålla sig stabil, vilket skulle göra det möjligt att stabilisera robotens blick. För detta måste vi dock kunna lokalisera huvudet i förhållande till vattenytan för att få en absolut position för varje modul. Målet med den här avhandlingen är att utforma en perceptionsmodul som skulle kunna återge de sinnen som ett vattenmockasin använder för att stabilisera sig på vattenytan. För att uppnå detta kommer en tröghetsmätningsenhet att användas för att reproducera den information som en orm får från sitt inneröra. Sedan kommer avståndssensorer att läggas till för att efterlikna ormens syn (eftersom vi behöver en uppskattning av huvudets avstånd från vattenytan). Uppfattningsmodulen bör kunna följa ormarobotens huvudets rörelse i förhållande till vattenytan. En av utmaningarna är att denna modul ska fungera speciĄkt på vatten. För att testa den tänkta uppfattningsmodulens prestanda presenteras i denna avhandling en hårdvarulösning för att simulera robothuvudets rörelser ovanför en vattentank. Denna struktur gör det möjligt för perceptionsmodulen att göra enkla rörelser, t.ex. sinusformade vågor längs z-axeln eller

The most commonly used localisation methods, such as GPS, rely on external signals to generate an estimate of the location. There is a need of systems which are independent of external signals in order to increase the robustness of the localisation capabilities. In this thesis a visual-inertial SLAM-based localisation system which utilises detailed map, image, IMU, and odometry data, is presented and evaluated. The system utilises factor graphs through Georgia Tech Smoothing and Mapping (GTSAM) library, developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The thesis contributes with performance evaluations for different camera and landmark settings in a localisation system based on GTSAM. Within the visual SLAM field, the thesis also contributes with a sparse landmark selection and a low image frequency approach to the localisation problem. A variety of camera-related settings, such as image frequency and amount of visible landmarks per image, are used to evaluate the system. The findings show that the estimate improve with a higher image frequency, and does also improve if the image frequency was held constant along the tracks. Having more than one landmark per image result in a significantly better estimate. The estimate is not accurate when only using one distant landmark throughout the track, but it is significantly better if two complementary landmarks are identified briefly along the tracks. The estimate can also handle time periods where no landmarks can be identified while maintaining a good estimate.

Les réseaux de capteurs sans fil (WSN) qui sont une technologie prometteuse qui a gagné en popularité ces dernières années. Le coût abordable et la flexibilité de déploiement des WSNs per mettent de nouvelles applications. Cependant, la nature distribuée des WSNs présente des défis pour la conception de la communication en raison de la courte portée de transmission des nœuds de capteur individuels. Une solution à ce problème est d’utiliser la formation de voie collaborative (CB) pour transmettre les données dans les WSNs. CB est efficace pour transmettre des données à longue distance tout en répartissant la consommation d’énergie sur un groupe de nœuds de capteur. CB est une technique importante pour améliorer les performances de la communication et de la cou verture dans les réseaux sans fil. Cependant, les défis existent dans l’emplacement des terminaux pour maximiser les performances de CB. Une nouvelle solution de formation de voie collaborative est proposée pour assurer une com munication à un ou plusieurs sauts d’une source à un récepteur via un réseau sans fil formé de K terminaux, en fonction des caractéristiques des erreurs d’estimation du canal dans les environ nements monochromatiques (ligne de mire), bichromatique ou polychromatiques (en présence de diffuseurs et réflecteurs). On suppose que tous les terminaux, équipés d’une seule antenne isotrope, sont répartis de manière indépendante et uniforme sur un disque situé dans le même plan contenant à la fois la source et le récepteur dans un premier temps puis on considère un réseau de capteurs sans fils à disposition connue et déterministe (un réseau rectangulaire ou carré par exemple). La ligne de mire (LoS) et les phénomènes multi-voies sont pris en compte, respectivement dans les scénarios monochromatique, bichromatique et polychromatique, où les poids sont conçus pour maintenir la puissance désirée égale à l’unité tout en minimisant le bruit. Une solution analytique est dérivée en utilisant le CB robust

A virtual choir would find several uses in choral pedagogy and research, but it would need a relatively small computational footprint for wide uptake. On the premise that very accurate localisation might not be needed for virtual rendering of the character of the sound inside an ensemble of singers, a localisation test was conducted using binaural stimuli created using a simplified approach, with parametrically controlled delays and variable low-pass filters (historically known as a ‘shuffler’ circuit) instead of head-related impulse responses. The direct sound from a monophonic anechoic recording of a soprano was processed (1) by sending it to a reverb algorithm for making a room-acoustic diffuse field with unchanging properties, (2) with a second-order low-pass filter with a cut-off frequency descending to 3 kHz for sources from behind, (3) with second-order low-pass head-shading filters with an angle-dependent cut-off frequency for the left/right lateral shadings of the head, and (4) with the gain of the direct sound being inversely proportional to virtual distance. The recorded singer was modelled as always facing the listener; no frequency-dependent directivity was implemented. Binaural stimuli corresponding to 24 different singer positions (8 angles and 3 distances) were synthesized. 30 participants heard the stimuli in randomized order, and indicated the perceived location of the singer on polar plot response sheets, with categories to indicate the possible responses. The listeners’ discrimination of the distance categories 0.5, 1 and 2 meters (1 correct out of 3 possible) was good, at about 80% correct. Discrimination of the angle of incidence, in 45-degreecategories (1 correct out of 8 possible) was fair, at 47% correct. Angle errors were mostly on the ‘cone of confusion’ (back-front symmetry), suggesting that the back-front cue was not very salient. The correct back-front responses (about 50%) dominated only somewhat over the incorrect ones (about 38%). In, QC 20230919

A virtual choir would find several uses in choral pedagogy and research, but it would need a relatively small computational footprint for wide uptake. On the premise that very accurate localisation might not be needed for virtual rendering of the character of the sound inside an ensemble of singers, a localisation test was conducted using binaural stimuli created using a simplified approach, with parametrically controlled delays and variable low-pass filters (historically known as a ‘shuffler’ circuit) instead of head-related impulse responses. The direct sound from a monophonic anechoic recording of a soprano was processed (1) by sending it to a reverb algorithm for making a room-acoustic diffuse field with unchanging properties, (2) with a second-order low-pass filter with a cut-off frequency descending to 3 kHz for sources from behind, (3) with second-order low-pass head-shading filters with an angle-dependent cut-off frequency for the left/right lateral shadings of the head, and (4) with the gain of the direct sound being inversely proportional to virtual distance. The recorded singer was modelled as always facing the listener; no frequency-dependent directivity was implemented. Binaural stimuli corresponding to 24 different singer positions (8 angles and 3 distances) were synthesized. 30 participants heard the stimuli in randomized order, and indicated the perceived location of the singer on polar plot response sheets, with categories to indicate the possible responses. The listeners’ discrimination of the distance categories 0.5, 1 and 2 meters (1 correct out of 3 possible) was good, at about 80% correct. Discrimination of the angle of incidence, in 45-degreecategories (1 correct out of 8 possible) was fair, at 47% correct. Angle errors were mostly on the ‘cone of confusion’ (back-front symmetry), suggesting that the back-front cue was not very salient. The correct back-front responses (about 50%) dominated only somewhat over the incorrect ones (about 38%). In, QC 20230919

TBI stands for Traumatic Brain Injury and refers to damage to the brain resulting from an external physical force, such as a blow, jolt, or penetrating injury to the head. Common causes of TBI include falls, motor vehicle accidents, sports injuries, and violence and has been linked to thousands of deaths and injuries in the US and the EU alike. This thesis was aimed to localise certain TBI to a specific part of the brain by exerting similar loading conditions on an Finite Element Method (FEM) of the rat brain as physical experiments conducted on living rats. By comparing the strain in 7 vital parts of the brain to injury diagnosis conducted in the physical experiments, an effort was made to link localised strain to injury diagnosis. The results indicate that strain in the thalamus and hypothalamus are linked with a loss of consciousness while strain in the hypothalamus coupled with the neocortex correlates greatly with activity-based behaviour changes. Lastly, injury associated with emotional changes are believed to stem from large strains in the neocortex. There is a theory suggesting that the structure of myeline, which provides support in motion and movement patterns of biological systems in humans and animals (known as biomechanical kinematics), could have an impact. However, more studies are needed to confirm and determine the exact cause., TBI, från engelskans Traumatic Brain Injury, står för Traumatisk Hjärn Skada och syftar på en skada i hjärnan till följd av enyttre fysisk kraft, såsom ett slag, stöt eller genomträngande skada i huvudet. Vanliga orsaker till TBI inkluderar fall, motorfordonsolyckor, sportskador och våld och har kopplats till tusentals dödsfall och skadade i både USA och EU. Denna rapport syftar till att försöka lokalisera viss TBI till en specifik del av hjärnan genom att utöva liknandebelastningsförhållanden på en finit elementmetod (FEM) modell av råtthjärnan som fysiska experimentutförs på levande råttor. Genom att jämföra belastningen i 7 vitala delar av hjärnan med skadediagnos som utfördes i de fysiska experimenten gjordes en ansträngning för att koppla lokaliserad belastning till skadediagnos. Resultaten indikerar att skada i thalamus och hypotalamus är kopplade till en förlust av medvetande medan belastning i hypotalamus i kombination med neocortex korrelerar kraftigtmed aktivitetsbaserade beteendeförändringar. Slutligen är skador i samband med känslomässiga förändringartros härröra från skada i neocortex. Det finns teori som tyder på attstruktur av myelin, som ger stöd i rörelse och rörelsemönster av biologiskasystem hos människor och djur (känd som biomekanisk kinematik), kan ha en inverkan.Det behövs dock fler studier för att bekräfta och fastställa den exakta orsaken.

In the world, power is unequally distributed, and so it is in the humanitariansector. After the inability of the humanitarian community to meet the localisationtargets set in the Grand Bargain, the failure has been attributed, among otherreasons, to international actors’ unwillingness to cede power. This thesis aims toexplore how INGOs can hand over control to local responders and use thelocalisation agenda to re-balance the unequal distribution of power amonghumanitarian actors. This study seeks to uncover how the colonial legacies still present in the sectorhave affected the efficacies of responses and, more specifically, the realisationof the commitments related to localisation. By interviewing a series ofhumanitarian professionals involved in the localisation efforts of theirorganisations, the empirical research has investigated the persistence andimpact of power imbalances in the work of humanitarians and collected theirsuggestions on the actions that INGOs could implement to facilitate the transferof control towards local responders. The thesis suggests that power imbalances might reduce in those cases whereINGOs adopt renewed localisation commitments which address the root causesof unequal power distribution. The recommendations at the end of this workmight be highly relevant for the global debate around redefining the localisationagenda in a way that satisfies both international and local actors while alsobenefiting affected communities.

What makes an non-governmental organisation (NGO) agile and resilient towards changes, pressures or uncertainties at community, state or macro-political level? By adopting a single case study based on semi-structured interviews and fieldwork, this thesis will dive into the life-world of a community-based NGO based in Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu. Social Needs Education and Human Awareness (SNEHA) has since founding in the 1980s had a strong rights-based identity and evolved through various phases of community organising, disaster relief work, evidence-based advocacy and upholding of fisher communities traditional and customary rights. Throughout its evolution, it has faced several challenges and pressures threatening the stability of the organisation and community, including the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. By combining a theoretical base of actor-network and social interface theory, this thesis argues that a broader, more comprehensive understanding of organisational and community resilience can be achieved. Seven factors have been identified as particularly contributing to organisations resilience and stability, mainly associated with having clear organisational identity, loyal staff, and a combination of centralised and decentralised structures. This thesis contributes to the understanding of resilience of community-based NGOs, contextualising their challenges within broader networks and advocating for donor support that aligns with local knowledge and organisational development in an increasingly complex context along the Indian coastline.

This paper proposes a novel multimodal deep weakly-supervised learning framework, SinkholeNet, to classify and localize sinkhole(s) in high-resolution RGB-slope aerial images. The SinkholeNet first employs a multimodal Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) architecture that simultaneously extracts features from the input RGB image and ground slope map and then fuses the extracted features. It then uses an improved ShuffleNet architecture on the fused features to classify patches as sinkholes or non-sinkholes. Finally, the last extracted feature maps, belonging to the sinkhole class, are used as input of gradient-weighted class activation mapping (Grad-CAM) to localize sinkhole(s) in a weakly-supervised setting. The proposed weakly-supervised framework intends to increase the available labeled data for training and decrease the cost of human annotation. We also introduce a novel publicly available weakly labeled sinkhole dataset comprising RGB-slope paired image patches to support reproducible research. The experimental results on the newly introduced dataset show that the SinkholeNet outperforms the other methods considered in this paper both for sinkhole classification and localization. © 2023 National Authority of Remote Sensing & Space Science

This paper investigates the potential of augmented reality (AR) as a navigational aid for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), offering innovative solutions to the evolving challenges of AD care. As the disease progresses, patients often require more assistance and may transition to care centers, resulting in reduced independence. Prior to this, home-based care aims to stimulate cognitive functions and preserve autonomy. To enhance their freedom and mobility, it is proposed to leverage AR technology to create a first-person navigational aid addressing the unique needs of AD patients. The research confronts two primary challenges: firstly, exploring the design of AR navigational aids customized for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease adapted to outdoor use. Then, it aims to develop an outdoor localization system for the HoloLens 2 and evaluate its performance. Despite limitations induced by the approximate positioning, various types of aids compatible with the technical constraints faced have been envisioned. A set of features was implemented using the optical see-through AR headset HoloLens 2. These features included two distinct types of holograms (Arrow and Wind) and the ability to catch user attention prior to turns, allowing us to explore the effectiveness of these design choices. They were evaluated through a user study involving 15 healthy participants. Usability and task load were measured with Nasa-TLX and SUS questionnaires. An approximate positioning for outdoor use of the HoloLens 2 was elaborated using a smartphone as a GPS receiver, and a Kalman filter for filtering and fusion with IMU data. This enables to reach positioning accuracy at the meter level. This research demonstrates the promising utility of AR in assisting navigation in outdoor environments. Despite few significant results, the Arrow hologram appears to be a better fit for usability and users’ personal preferences. Further research is needed to get significant results on the impact, Denna artikel utforskar potentialen hos förstärkt verklighet (AR) som navigationshjälpmedel för personer med Alzheimers sjukdom (AD) och erbjuder innovativa lösningar inom AD-vård. När sjukdomen fortskrider behöver patienterna mer hjälp och kan övergå till vårdcentraler, vilket minskar deras självständighet. Hemvård strävar efter att stimulera kognitiva funktioner och bevara autonomi. Vi föreslår utnyttja AR-teknologi för en skräddarsydd navigeringshjälp i första person för AD-patienters behov. Forskningen möter två utmaningar: att utforska AR-navigeringshjälpmedel för personer med Alzheimers sjukdom och anpassade för utomhusanvändning. Vi strävar efter att utveckla utomhuslokaliseringssystem för HoloLens 2 och utvärdera prestanda. Trots begränsningar på grund av ungefärlig positionering kan vi föreställa oss hjälpmedel som är kompatibla med tekniska begränsningar. Vi använde HoloLens 2 med funktioner som två hologramtyper och användaruppmärksamhetsfångst före svängar, utvärderat med 15 deltagare. Vi skapade ungefärlig positionering för HoloLens 2 utomhus med en smartphone som GPS-mottagare, med Kalman-filtrering och IMU-fusion för meter-noggrannhet. Forskningen visar AR:s lovande nytta i utomhusnavigering. Trots få signifikanta resultat verkar pilhologrammet passa användbarhet och preferenser bättre. Mer forskning behövs för att bedöma adaptiva hjälpmedels effekter. Användningen av AR-navigeringshjälpmedel utomhus begränsas av dålig synlighet och låg positionsnoggrannhet., Cet article explore le potentiel de la réalité augmentée (RA) comme aide à la navigation pour les personnes atteintes de la maladie d’Alzheimer (MA), offrant une solution novatrice aux défis en constante évolution des soins liés à la MA. À mesure que la maladie progresse, les patients ont souvent besoin d’une assistance accrue et sont transférés dans des centres de soins, ce qui diminue leur indépendance. Avant cela, les soins à domicile visent à stimuler leurs fonctions cognitives et à préserver leur autonomie. Dans cette optique, nous proposons d’utiliser la RA pour créer une aide à la navigation à la première personne adaptée aux besoins spécifiques des patients atteints de la MA. La recherche aborde deux défis principaux : la conception d’aides à la navigation en RA pour les personnes atteintes de la MA, adaptées à une utilisation en extérieur, et le développement d’un système de localisation en extérieur pour HoloLens 2, suivi de son évaluation. Malgré les limitations liées au positionnement approximatif, nous avons envisagé différents types d’aides compatibles avec ces contraintes techniques. Nous avons mis en place un ensemble de fonctionnalités en utilisant le casque de RA HoloLens 2. Ces fonctionnalités incluent deux types d’hologrammes (Flèche et Vent) et la capacité à attirer l’attention de l’utilisateur avant les virages, nous permettant d’explorer l’efficacité de ces choix de conception. Ils ont été évalués lors d’une étude avec 15 participants en bonne santé. Nous avons élaboré une méthode de positionnement approximatif pour une utilisation en extérieur de l’HoloLens 2 en utilisant un smartphone comme récepteur GPS, avec un filtre de Kalman pour le filtrage et la fusion avec des données inertielles, permettant d’atteindre une précision de positionnement au mètre. Cette recherche démontre l’utilité prometteuse de la RA dans l’assistance à la navigation en extérieur, bien que des recherches supplémentaires soient nécessaires pour obtenir des résultats si

Ankura;et al.;Hitachi;KPMG Consulting Co., Ltd.;NTT Data Intellilink Corporation;Think in Data Initiative, Association Inc, 2022 IEEE International Conference on Big Data, Big Data 2022 -- 17 December 2022 through 20 December 2022 -- 186390, In the contemporary rotating machinery, bearings are critical and indispensable parts. Early detection of rolling bearing defects carries crucial importance, because undetected defects on the rolling bearings may end in loss of time, resources, money and even lives. In parallel to the accelerated utilization of deep learning applications in the manufacturing industry, different studies have been conducted to determine and evaluate defects on the surfaces of rolling bearings. In this study, a new system, that contains a hardware platform and software components in order to detect surface defects of the metal rolling bearings has been developed. To detect defects, optic image data of the bearings were used, and then computer vision and artificial intelligence techniques were applied to them. In the system, TC-VISION, the source of big data is the platform designed and developed using the optical camera. The results of the applied CNN algorithms performed better than the targeted values with respect to several metrics. The F1 score obtained is close to 100%. The developed system is aimed to be enhanced further in order to develop a fully automated inspection and quality control system for metal rolling bearing systems appropriate for serial production in real industrial environments. © 2022 IEEE., Türkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Araştırma Kurumu, TÜBİTAK: 3201195, ACKNOWLEDGMENT This study was conducted by TEKNOPAR and supported by TÜBİTAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey) TC-VISION project, with project number 3201195.

Localization of epileptic focus is crucial for resective epilepsy surgery and treatment planning. The purpose of this study is to develop a method analyzing gray matter reduction in brain magnetic resonance images in order to identify epileptogenic focus of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) patients. So, a new voxel based morphometry analysis based epileptogenic brain side detection approach was proposed. Gray matter abnormalities were detected from T1-weighted MR images by using Statistical Parametric Mapping based voxel based morphometry analysis. The dataset of the introduced retrospective analysis consists of MR images of 15 TLE patients including patients with hippocampal sclerosis, mesial temporal sclerosis, and MRI negative diagnoses. In addition, MRI of 14 healthy subjects were used as the control group. TLE focus detection performed by the proposed method and seizure lateralization from EEG recordings realized by the expert overlapped at a rate of 91.7 %. In addition, sensitivity of 100 % and 80 % were obtained for right TLE and left TLE detection, respectively. Experimental results showed that the proposed algorithm can reveal subtle Gray matter reduction in the temporal lobe and limbic lobe areas, thus providing an automated medical support system for the expert in identifying the epileptic focus of TLE patients. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd

Ankura;et al.;Hitachi;KPMG Consulting Co., Ltd.;NTT Data Intellilink Corporation;Think in Data Initiative, Association Inc, 2022 IEEE International Conference on Big Data, Big Data 2022 -- 17 December 2022 through 20 December 2022 -- 186390, In the contemporary rotating machinery, bearings are critical and indispensable parts. Early detection of rolling bearing defects carries crucial importance, because undetected defects on the rolling bearings may end in loss of time, resources, money and even lives. In parallel to the accelerated utilization of deep learning applications in the manufacturing industry, different studies have been conducted to determine and evaluate defects on the surfaces of rolling bearings. In this study, a new system, that contains a hardware platform and software components in order to detect surface defects of the metal rolling bearings has been developed. To detect defects, optic image data of the bearings were used, and then computer vision and artificial intelligence techniques were applied to them. In the system, TC-VISION, the source of big data is the platform designed and developed using the optical camera. The results of the applied CNN algorithms performed better than the targeted values with respect to several metrics. The F1 score obtained is close to 100%. The developed system is aimed to be enhanced further in order to develop a fully automated inspection and quality control system for metal rolling bearing systems appropriate for serial production in real industrial environments. © 2022 IEEE., Türkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Araştırma Kurumu, TÜBİTAK: 3201195, ACKNOWLEDGMENT This study was conducted by TEKNOPAR and supported by TÜBİTAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey) TC-VISION project, with project number 3201195.

Localization of epileptic focus is crucial for resective epilepsy surgery and treatment planning. The purpose of this study is to develop a method analyzing gray matter reduction in brain magnetic resonance images in order to identify epileptogenic focus of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) patients. So, a new voxel based morphometry analysis based epileptogenic brain side detection approach was proposed. Gray matter abnormalities were detected from T1-weighted MR images by using Statistical Parametric Mapping based voxel based morphometry analysis. The dataset of the introduced retrospective analysis consists of MR images of 15 TLE patients including patients with hippocampal sclerosis, mesial temporal sclerosis, and MRI negative diagnoses. In addition, MRI of 14 healthy subjects were used as the control group. TLE focus detection performed by the proposed method and seizure lateralization from EEG recordings realized by the expert overlapped at a rate of 91.7 %. In addition, sensitivity of 100 % and 80 % were obtained for right TLE and left TLE detection, respectively. Experimental results showed that the proposed algorithm can reveal subtle Gray matter reduction in the temporal lobe and limbic lobe areas, thus providing an automated medical support system for the expert in identifying the epileptic focus of TLE patients. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd

What makes an non-governmental organisation (NGO) agile and resilient towards changes, pressures or uncertainties at community, state or macro-political level? By adopting a single case study based on semi-structured interviews and fieldwork, this thesis will dive into the life-world of a community-based NGO based in Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu. Social Needs Education and Human Awareness (SNEHA) has since founding in the 1980s had a strong rights-based identity and evolved through various phases of community organising, disaster relief work, evidence-based advocacy and upholding of fisher communities traditional and customary rights. Throughout its evolution, it has faced several challenges and pressures threatening the stability of the organisation and community, including the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. By combining a theoretical base of actor-network and social interface theory, this thesis argues that a broader, more comprehensive understanding of organisational and community resilience can be achieved. Seven factors have been identified as particularly contributing to organisations resilience and stability, mainly associated with having clear organisational identity, loyal staff, and a combination of centralised and decentralised structures. This thesis contributes to the understanding of resilience of community-based NGOs, contextualising their challenges within broader networks and advocating for donor support that aligns with local knowledge and organisational development in an increasingly complex context along the Indian coastline.

In the world, power is unequally distributed, and so it is in the humanitariansector. After the inability of the humanitarian community to meet the localisationtargets set in the Grand Bargain, the failure has been attributed, among otherreasons, to international actors’ unwillingness to cede power. This thesis aims toexplore how INGOs can hand over control to local responders and use thelocalisation agenda to re-balance the unequal distribution of power amonghumanitarian actors. This study seeks to uncover how the colonial legacies still present in the sectorhave affected the efficacies of responses and, more specifically, the realisationof the commitments related to localisation. By interviewing a series ofhumanitarian professionals involved in the localisation efforts of theirorganisations, the empirical research has investigated the persistence andimpact of power imbalances in the work of humanitarians and collected theirsuggestions on the actions that INGOs could implement to facilitate the transferof control towards local responders. The thesis suggests that power imbalances might reduce in those cases whereINGOs adopt renewed localisation commitments which address the root causesof unequal power distribution. The recommendations at the end of this workmight be highly relevant for the global debate around redefining the localisationagenda in a way that satisfies both international and local actors while alsobenefiting affected communities.

This paper proposes a novel multimodal deep weakly-supervised learning framework, SinkholeNet, to classify and localize sinkhole(s) in high-resolution RGB-slope aerial images. The SinkholeNet first employs a multimodal Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) architecture that simultaneously extracts features from the input RGB image and ground slope map and then fuses the extracted features. It then uses an improved ShuffleNet architecture on the fused features to classify patches as sinkholes or non-sinkholes. Finally, the last extracted feature maps, belonging to the sinkhole class, are used as input of gradient-weighted class activation mapping (Grad-CAM) to localize sinkhole(s) in a weakly-supervised setting. The proposed weakly-supervised framework intends to increase the available labeled data for training and decrease the cost of human annotation. We also introduce a novel publicly available weakly labeled sinkhole dataset comprising RGB-slope paired image patches to support reproducible research. The experimental results on the newly introduced dataset show that the SinkholeNet outperforms the other methods considered in this paper both for sinkhole classification and localization. © 2023 National Authority of Remote Sensing & Space Science

Precise mobile equipment localization in indoor environment is possible for mobile equipment with an integrated radar system. Deploying an omni-directional antenna at a base station allows localizing a single mobile unit at a time slot and a frequency resource block. With cell sectoring, an approach to cope with increasing capacity in a cell of a mobile network, helps to localize multiple mobile units at a time slot and a frequency resource block. Most importantly, cell sectoring helps to avoid localization ambiguity caused by the backprojection process. The paper presents the precise multiple mobile equipment localization approach in indoor environment based on cell sectoring. The simulation illustrates the benefit of the approach. The practicality of the approach is also addressed in the paper. © 2023, © ICST Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering.

This paper proposes a novel multimodal deep weakly-supervised learning framework, SinkholeNet, to classify and localize sinkhole(s) in high-resolution RGB-slope aerial images. The SinkholeNet first employs a multimodal Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) architecture that simultaneously extracts features from the input RGB image and ground slope map and then fuses the extracted features. It then uses an improved ShuffleNet architecture on the fused features to classify patches as sinkholes or non-sinkholes. Finally, the last extracted feature maps, belonging to the sinkhole class, are used as input of gradient-weighted class activation mapping (Grad-CAM) to localize sinkhole(s) in a weakly-supervised setting. The proposed weakly-supervised framework intends to increase the available labeled data for training and decrease the cost of human annotation. We also introduce a novel publicly available weakly labeled sinkhole dataset comprising RGB-slope paired image patches to support reproducible research. The experimental results on the newly introduced dataset show that the SinkholeNet outperforms the other methods considered in this paper both for sinkhole classification and localization. © 2023 National Authority of Remote Sensing & Space Science

This paper proposes a novel multimodal deep weakly-supervised learning framework, SinkholeNet, to classify and localize sinkhole(s) in high-resolution RGB-slope aerial images. The SinkholeNet first employs a multimodal Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) architecture that simultaneously extracts features from the input RGB image and ground slope map and then fuses the extracted features. It then uses an improved ShuffleNet architecture on the fused features to classify patches as sinkholes or non-sinkholes. Finally, the last extracted feature maps, belonging to the sinkhole class, are used as input of gradient-weighted class activation mapping (Grad-CAM) to localize sinkhole(s) in a weakly-supervised setting. The proposed weakly-supervised framework intends to increase the available labeled data for training and decrease the cost of human annotation. We also introduce a novel publicly available weakly labeled sinkhole dataset comprising RGB-slope paired image patches to support reproducible research. The experimental results on the newly introduced dataset show that the SinkholeNet outperforms the other methods considered in this paper both for sinkhole classification and localization. © 2023 National Authority of Remote Sensing & Space Science

A virtual choir would find several uses in choral pedagogy and research, but it would need a relatively small computational footprint for wide uptake. On the premise that very accurate localisation might not be needed for virtual rendering of the character of the sound inside an ensemble of singers, a localisation test was conducted using binaural stimuli created using a simplified approach, with parametrically controlled delays and variable low-pass filters (historically known as a ‘shuffler’ circuit) instead of head-related impulse responses. The direct sound from a monophonic anechoic recording of a soprano was processed (1) by sending it to a reverb algorithm for making a room-acoustic diffuse field with unchanging properties, (2) with a second-order low-pass filter with a cut-off frequency descending to 3 kHz for sources from behind, (3) with second-order low-pass head-shading filters with an angle-dependent cut-off frequency for the left/right lateral shadings of the head, and (4) with the gain of the direct sound being inversely proportional to virtual distance. The recorded singer was modelled as always facing the listener; no frequency-dependent directivity was implemented. Binaural stimuli corresponding to 24 different singer positions (8 angles and 3 distances) were synthesized. 30 participants heard the stimuli in randomized order, and indicated the perceived location of the singer on polar plot response sheets, with categories to indicate the possible responses. The listeners’ discrimination of the distance categories 0.5, 1 and 2 meters (1 correct out of 3 possible) was good, at about 80% correct. Discrimination of the angle of incidence, in 45-degreecategories (1 correct out of 8 possible) was fair, at 47% correct. Angle errors were mostly on the ‘cone of confusion’ (back-front symmetry), suggesting that the back-front cue was not very salient. The correct back-front responses (about 50%) dominated only somewhat over the incorrect ones (about 38%). In, QC 20230919

Bioinspired robots are becoming more and more common and getting inspired by the solutions found in nature to tackle problems is often useful. Regarding the swimming robots Ąeld of research, we can get inspiration from swimming snakes. In the last twenty years several snake-like swimming robots have been conceived as their slender shape can allow more freedom in movements. It also may be less intrusive in an underwater environment. One problem encountered in swimming snake robots is to stabilize it on water surface and to control the head movement. Due to its shape it is very sensitive to rolling motion. A way to counter this is inspired by the swimming of the cottonmouth snake. By rotating its modules the robot can play on the buoyancy effect and gravity to stay stabilized and this would allow to stabilize the gaze of the robot. For that however we need to be able to locate the head, relatively to the water surface to have an absolute position of each module. The goal of this thesis is to conceive a perception module that would be able to reproduce the senses a cottonmouth snake uses to stabilize itself on the water surface. In order to achieve this an Inertial Measurement Unit is used to reproduce the information a snake gets from its inner ear. Distance sensors imitate the snakeŠs vision and provide an estimate of the distance of the head from the water surface. The perception module should be able to follow the movement of the snake robotŠs head relatively to the water surface. One of the challenges is that this module should be operational speciĄcally on water. To test the performances of the conceived perception module a hardware solution is presented in this thesis to simulate the movements of the robotŠs head above a water tank. This structure allows the perception module to do simple movements such as sinusoidal waves along the z axis or the movements the robot head would do when it is slightly disturbed, according to the simulation of that robot. The resul, Bioinspirerade robotar blir allt vanligare och det är ofta bra att låta sig inspireras av lösningar som Ąnns i naturen för att lösa problem. När det gäller forskningsområdet simulerande robotar kan vi inspireras av simulerande ormar. Under de senaste tjugo åren har Ćera ormliknande simrobotar utformats eftersom deras smala form ger större rörelsefrihet. Den kan också vara mindre påträngande i en undervattensmiljö. Ett problem med simmande ormrobotar är att stabilisera dem på vattenytan och att kontrollera huvudets rörelser. På grund av sin form är den mycket känslig för rullande rörelser. Ett sätt att motverka detta är inspirerat av vattenmockasinets simning: ett projekt vid IMT Atlantique-robotlabbet går ut på att arbeta med kroppens form genom att Ćytta robotens olika moduler. Genom att rotera modulerna kan roboten spela på Ćytkraften och gravitationen för att hålla sig stabil, vilket skulle göra det möjligt att stabilisera robotens blick. För detta måste vi dock kunna lokalisera huvudet i förhållande till vattenytan för att få en absolut position för varje modul. Målet med den här avhandlingen är att utforma en perceptionsmodul som skulle kunna återge de sinnen som ett vattenmockasin använder för att stabilisera sig på vattenytan. För att uppnå detta kommer en tröghetsmätningsenhet att användas för att reproducera den information som en orm får från sitt inneröra. Sedan kommer avståndssensorer att läggas till för att efterlikna ormens syn (eftersom vi behöver en uppskattning av huvudets avstånd från vattenytan). Uppfattningsmodulen bör kunna följa ormarobotens huvudets rörelse i förhållande till vattenytan. En av utmaningarna är att denna modul ska fungera speciĄkt på vatten. För att testa den tänkta uppfattningsmodulens prestanda presenteras i denna avhandling en hårdvarulösning för att simulera robothuvudets rörelser ovanför en vattentank. Denna struktur gör det möjligt för perceptionsmodulen att göra enkla rörelser, t.ex. sinusformade vågor längs z-axeln eller

A virtual choir would find several uses in choral pedagogy and research, but it would need a relatively small computational footprint for wide uptake. On the premise that very accurate localisation might not be needed for virtual rendering of the character of the sound inside an ensemble of singers, a localisation test was conducted using binaural stimuli created using a simplified approach, with parametrically controlled delays and variable low-pass filters (historically known as a ‘shuffler’ circuit) instead of head-related impulse responses. The direct sound from a monophonic anechoic recording of a soprano was processed (1) by sending it to a reverb algorithm for making a room-acoustic diffuse field with unchanging properties, (2) with a second-order low-pass filter with a cut-off frequency descending to 3 kHz for sources from behind, (3) with second-order low-pass head-shading filters with an angle-dependent cut-off frequency for the left/right lateral shadings of the head, and (4) with the gain of the direct sound being inversely proportional to virtual distance. The recorded singer was modelled as always facing the listener; no frequency-dependent directivity was implemented. Binaural stimuli corresponding to 24 different singer positions (8 angles and 3 distances) were synthesized. 30 participants heard the stimuli in randomized order, and indicated the perceived location of the singer on polar plot response sheets, with categories to indicate the possible responses. The listeners’ discrimination of the distance categories 0.5, 1 and 2 meters (1 correct out of 3 possible) was good, at about 80% correct. Discrimination of the angle of incidence, in 45-degreecategories (1 correct out of 8 possible) was fair, at 47% correct. Angle errors were mostly on the ‘cone of confusion’ (back-front symmetry), suggesting that the back-front cue was not very salient. The correct back-front responses (about 50%) dominated only somewhat over the incorrect ones (about 38%). In, QC 20230919

A virtual choir would find several uses in choral pedagogy and research, but it would need a relatively small computational footprint for wide uptake. On the premise that very accurate localisation might not be needed for virtual rendering of the character of the sound inside an ensemble of singers, a localisation test was conducted using binaural stimuli created using a simplified approach, with parametrically controlled delays and variable low-pass filters (historically known as a ‘shuffler’ circuit) instead of head-related impulse responses. The direct sound from a monophonic anechoic recording of a soprano was processed (1) by sending it to a reverb algorithm for making a room-acoustic diffuse field with unchanging properties, (2) with a second-order low-pass filter with a cut-off frequency descending to 3 kHz for sources from behind, (3) with second-order low-pass head-shading filters with an angle-dependent cut-off frequency for the left/right lateral shadings of the head, and (4) with the gain of the direct sound being inversely proportional to virtual distance. The recorded singer was modelled as always facing the listener; no frequency-dependent directivity was implemented. Binaural stimuli corresponding to 24 different singer positions (8 angles and 3 distances) were synthesized. 30 participants heard the stimuli in randomized order, and indicated the perceived location of the singer on polar plot response sheets, with categories to indicate the possible responses. The listeners’ discrimination of the distance categories 0.5, 1 and 2 meters (1 correct out of 3 possible) was good, at about 80% correct. Discrimination of the angle of incidence, in 45-degreecategories (1 correct out of 8 possible) was fair, at 47% correct. Angle errors were mostly on the ‘cone of confusion’ (back-front symmetry), suggesting that the back-front cue was not very salient. The correct back-front responses (about 50%) dominated only somewhat over the incorrect ones (about 38%). In, QC 20230919

The sub-THz and THz frequency ranges, that have been designated for astronomy and military, are now considered for the next generation of cellular networks. Radar systems operating in these frequency ranges are popular. Sharing the same radio frequency (RF) resources of cellular networks and radar systems opens the great potential to integrate radar system on mobile equipment. With this integration, the radar applications based on detection and ranging are available for mobile equipment. Realizing synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is also possible due to the movement of the mobile equipment that helps to synthesize an aperture larger than the physical aperture of the mobile equipment. Precise active localization in indoor environment is therefore feasible. The paper presents a discussion about active localization by realizing monostatic, bistatic, multistatic and passive SAR on mobile equipment with an integrated radar system. The simulation and experiment results shows the feasibility of the proposal. © 2023 IEEE.

Democracy is facing mounting challenges in today’s globalised world, with rising inequalities and unsustainable practices. Yet money creation and design are kept independent of popular control despite the substantial impacts they have on the development of society and the well-being of its citizens. Some movements have challenged this demarcation and created their own currencies; complementary currency initiatives. This study aims to explore in what ways they may contribute to a democratic society and economic democracy. It utilises a qualitative, multiple-case study design examining four complementary currencies in northwestern Europe and explores commonalities in the potential ways they contribute to a democratisation of the economy. Through semi-structured interviews with representatives and members of these currencies, examined through thematic analysis, it finds that they contribute to democracy by creating a community characterised by mutual support, transparency and accountability; to politicising money creation through the promotion of reflection and education; and in protecting local economic power and diversity. Thus, by keeping money local, the population has a new tool to construct their circumstances according to their needs. However, further research is required to measure these impacts in more detail while contrasting different currency designs and contexts.

Au Canada, plus 756000 personnes sont atteintes de pertes visuelles partielles ou totales. Les implants rétiniens sont coûteux et lourds à mettre en place. Les systèmes de substitution sensorielle de la vision vers l’audition (VASSDs), qui encodent l’environnement visuel en sons, sont des technologies alternatives aux implants rétiniens, non invasives et peu coûteuses. Les VASSDs récents utilisent des caméras 3D, ce qui permet de transmettre directement l’information de profondeur aux utilisateurs. Bien que ces systèmes soient prometteurs, leur utilisation reste pour le moment limitée aux laboratoires de recherche. Le but de cette thèse est de permettre la conception de VASSDs plus efficaces afin qu’ils soient adoptés de façon généralisée. Nous avons donc conduit des expériences permettant d’analyser et comprendre comment les utilisateurs se comportent avec ces systèmes, de choisir pertinemment les informations visuelles à encoder et de développer des règles d’encodage de l’information visuelle en sons qui soient intuitives. Nous avons d’abord quantifié les potentiels avantages de l’ajout de l’encodage sonore de la profondeur dans les systèmes récents. Pour cela, nous avons développé et réalisé des expériences de localisation et de déplacement à l’aveugle avec un système comportant un mode 2D et 3D. Les deux modes encodent en temps réel la position des objets dans des images capturées par une caméra. Le mode 3D encode en plus la distance entre le système et l’objet. Pour la localisation, les participants ont été plus rapides à comprendre la scène avec le mode 3D qui encode la profondeur. Cependant, avec le mode 2D , ils étaient tout de même capables d’estimer les distances après un court l’entraînement. Pour la navigation, les participants ont été aussi performants avec le mode 2D qu’avec le mode 3D. Nous avons ensuite évalué l’efficacité de différentes méthodes d’encodage de la profondeur en sons afin de déterminer la plus efficace. La fréquence, l’amplitude et la, In Canada, more than 756000 people have partial or complete vision loss. Retinal implants are expensive and cumbersome to set up. Visual to auditory sensory substitution devices (VASSDs), which encode the visual environment into sounds, are non-invasive and low-cost alternative technologies to retinal implants. Recent iteration of such systems rely on 3D cameras, which allows depth information to be transmitted directly to the user. Although these devices are promising, they are are not yet widely used outside research laboratories. The goal of this thesis is to enable the design of more efficient VASSDs so that they can be widely adopted. We have therefore conducted experiments to analyze and understand how users behave with these systems. This will help to appropriately choose what visual information should be encoded into sounds and how to develop intuitive rules for encoding visual to sound conversion rules. We first quantified the potential advantages of adding audio encoded distances in recent systems. To this end, we conducted experiments for object localization and navigation tasks with a handheld visual to audio substitution system. It comprises 2D and 3D modes. Both encode in real-time the position of objects in images captured by a camera. The 3D mode encodes in addition the distance between the system and the object. Experiments have been conducted with 16 blindfolded sighted participants. For the localization, participants were quicker to understand the scene with the 3D mode that encodes distances. On the other hand, with the 2D only mode, they were able to compensate for the lack of distance encoding after a small training. For the navigation, participants were as good with the 2D only mode than with the 3D mode encoding distance. We then evaluated five depth to sound encoding rules encoded in order to find the most effective. The frequency, amplitude and reverberation of the sound as well as the repetition rate of short high-pitched sounds

The existence of a dual-salary system in the aid sector creates structural barriers and impediments to the development of localised and sustainable responses. During the recruitment process, professionals are not evaluated according to their previous experience and titles. Instead, their nationality weighs on their application more than their expertise. In this paper, I have conducted qualitative research through a Key Informant Interview (KII) methodology, aiming to identify trends of thought among aid professionals, particularly those in senior leadership positions working as expatriates from Least Developed Countries (LDCs). I will firstly introduce the topic, then analyse the advantages and disadvantages of creating a fairer system that encourages the return of aid professionals to their home countries. Finally, I will compare my assumptions through KIIs to identify the trends of thought among interested parties. In the conclusion, I review these ideas, hoping to foster further research on the topic and inform global aid leadership., Dans le système humanitaire, l’existence d’écarts de salaires entre deux personnes exerçant le même rôle génère de réels obstacles pour le développement de réponses humanitaires localisées. Pendant le processus de recrutement, les candidats ne sont pas évalués selon leurs expériences professionnelles ou leurs titres, mais selon leur nationalité, un aspect qui semble peser davantage que leur expertise dans leur dossier de candidature. Dans cet article, j’ai mené une recherche qualitative à l’aide de la méthodologie des entretiens avec les informateurs clés (KII), dans le but d’identifier des tendances au sein des professionnels du secteur de l’aide humanitaire, particulièrement chez les professionnels venant des pays du Sud, ayant des postes de direction et travaillant comme expatriés. Je commencerai par introduire le sujet, j’analyserai ensuite les avantages et les désavantages de créer un système plus équitable qui encouragerait le retour des professionnels de l’humanitaire dans leur pays d’origine. Finalement, je discuterai mes hypothèses provenant des entretiens avec les informateurs clés, afin de voir si des idées générales ressortent de ces échanges avec les parties concernées. Pour conclure, je discuterai les résultats, ce qui je l’espère favorisera la poursuite de recherches sur ce sujet et permettra d’informer les responsables de l’aide humanitaire à travers le monde.