The state estimation of a quantized system (Q.S.) is a challenging problem for designing feedback control and model-based fault diagnosis algorithms. The core of a Q.S. is a continuous variable system whose inputs and outputs are represented by their corresponding quantized values. This paper concerns with state estimation of a Q.S. by a qualitative observer. The presented observer in this pape...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the inter- and intra-observer reliability of both qualitative and quantitative parameters used in the assessment of nail-fold capillaroscopy images. METHODS Fifty mosaic nail-fold images of healthy controls (n = 10), patients with primary RP (n = 10) and SSc (n = 30) were assessed in random order by two blinded observers on two occasions at centres in Sweden, UK and T...

Qualitative simulation as one of the main techniques in qualitative reasoning has the great potential to solve engineering problems, only if the difficulty of ambiguity can be overcome. On the other hand in many applications measurements are available and can be used to reduce the ambiguity. We propose in this paper Qualitative Observer, which is based on qualitative simulation and applied by O...

Software outsourcing has been the subject of much research in the past 25 years, largely because of potential cost savings envisaged through lower labour costs, ‘follow-the-sun’ development, access to skilled developers, and proximity to new markets. In recent years, the success of the open source phenomenon has inspired a number of new forms of sourcing that combine the potential of global sou...

AIMS The aim of this study was to investigate the reproducibility of intravascular optical coherence tomography (IVOCT) assessments, including a comparison to intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). Intra-observer and inter-observer variabilities of IVOCT have been previously described, whereas inter-institute reliability in multiple laboratories has never been systematically studied. METHODS AND RE...

This paper discusses advantages of dynamical systems approach for the robots to attain intrinsic descriptions in terms of their behaviors. We show qualitative differences between taking views of "external observer" and "internal observer" dealing with the descriptions for the robots. The conventional symbolic approach takes the view of the external observer, in which there exists an observer wh...

We present a viewing strategy for exploring the surface of an unknown object (i.e., making all of its points visible) by purposefully controlling the motion of an active observer. It is based on a simple relation between (1) the instantaneous direction of motion of the observer, (2) the visibility of points projecting to the occluding contour, and (3) the surface normal at those points: If the ...