In this half-day tutorial, we give an overview of the uses of knowledge about the human visual system, as applied to several aspects of computer graphics. In particular, we show how human visual perception applies to the optimization of rendering algorithms, display algorithms, as well as virtual environments. Examples are shown for applications such as real-time rendering, high quality renderi...

The transferable utility (TU) cooperative games are used as an effective mathematical representation of cooperation and coalitions forming. This contribution deals with a modified form of such games in which the expected pay-offs of coalitions are known only vaguely, where the vagueness is modelled by means of fuzzy quantities and some other fuzzy set theoretical concepts. Such games were inves...

This chapter describes a motivated learning (ML) method that advances model building and learning techniques required for intelligent systems. Motivated learning addresses critical limitations of reinforcement learning (RL), the more common approach to coordinating a machine’s interaction with an unknown environment. RL maximizes the external reward by approximating multidimensional value funct...

Here we modify the HMAX object recognition system of Serre et al. with an end-stopped filter to try and improve the accuracy of the model and to further the parallels in the algorithm to the actual processing of the visual cortex for learning object representations.

A new method is introduced to perform enhancement of speech degraded by acoustic noise using the psychoacoustic property of masking. The goal of this algorithm is to preserve the natural quality of the noise while keeping the speech perceptually intact. Distortion masking principles based on prior work of Gustafsson are used to derive a hybrid gain function comprising a function minimizing spee...

Parallel grammars and parallel treebanks can be a useful method for studying linguistic diversity and commonality. We use this approach to study how arguments to similar predicates are realized across languages. To that end, we formulate formal principles for aligning at phrase and word levels based on translational correspondences at predicate-argument level. A first version of a new tool for ...

Intrinsically motivated goal exploration algorithms enable machines to discover repertoires of policies that produce a diversity of effects in complex environments. These exploration algorithms have been shown to allow real world robots to acquire skills such as tool use in high-dimensional continuous state and action spaces. However, they have so far assumed that self-generated goals are sampl...

Psychologists call behavior intrinsically motivated when it is engaged in for its own sake rather than as a step toward solving a specific problem of clear practical value. But what we learn during intrinsically motivated behavior is essential for our development as competent autonomous entities able to efficiently solve a wide range of practical problems as they arise. In this paper we present...

An audio-visual localisation and tracking system for meeting scenarios is presented which draws its inspiration from neurobiological processing. Meetings are recorded by a KEMAR binaural manikin and a single camera placed directly above the manikin. Source localisation from the binaural audio and face, object and motion locations from the video frames are used as input to two linked neural osci...

The first aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of activities, strategies and processes associated with managers’ empowerment based on the National Human Resource Empowerment Model in Iran. The second aim is to propose a provincial model of human resources empowerment for managers and executives. To collect data, a qualitative research approach including semi-structured interviews an...