The human orientation system is a complex system in which the brain merges information from a variety of sensors to help maintain a coherent interpretation of body position and movement. These sensors include the semicircular canals and the otolith organs located in the inner ear as well as vision and somatosensory perception. I designed a model of this system based on the observer theory model (OTM), which was developed by Merfeld (1990) for the orientation system of the squirrel monkey. Under this scheme, the central nervous system has an internal representation of the sensor organs and tries to minimize the error between its estimate of the sensory afferent signals and the actual afferent signals. As designed, MARIKA's goal is to classify the vestibular system of the subject as normal or abnormal and propose a corresponding model. It works iteratively until the results of the proposed experiment can be modeled. Additional experiments can be presented in succession to the same model.

Recent general AI conferences show a decline in both the number and the quality of vision papers, but there is tremendous growth in, and specialization of, computer vision conferences. Hence, one might conclude that computer vision is parting or has parted company with AI. This article proposes that the divorce of computer vision and AI suggested here is actually an open marriage: Although computer vision is developing through its own research agenda, there are many shared areas of interest, and many of the key goals, assumptions, and characteristics of computer vision are also clearly found in AI.

The Seventh International Workshop on Qualitative Reasoning about Physical Systems was held on 16-19 May 1993. The bulk of the 50 attendees work in the AI area, but several engineers and cognitive psychologists also attended. The two topics attracting special attention were automated modeling and the design task. This article briefly describes some of the presentations and discussions held during the workshop.

The Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence sponsored a number of workshops in conjunction with the Eleventh National Conference on Artificial Intelligence held 11-15 July 1993 in Washington, D.C. This article contains reports of four of the workshops that were conducted: AI Models for System Engineering, Case-Based Reasoning, Reasoning about Function, and Validation and Verification of Knowledge Based Systems.

To integrate robotics into society, it is first necessary to measure and analyze current societal responses to areas within robotics. This article is the second in a continuing series of reports on the societal effects of various aspects of robotics. In my previous article, I discussed the problems of sensor abuse and outlined a program of treatment. However, despite the wide dissemination of that article, there are still numerous empty beds at the Susan Calvin Clinic for the Prevention of Sensor Abuse. Sensor abuse continues unabated despite strong evidence that there is a better way. In this article, I explore the age-old question, Why does the robotics community look down on efficient sensing systems?

The competition, rules, coordinating the setup and Technologies, showed off a unique which attracted teams from administration of the contest, and global-positioning system using a many of the top mobile robotics trying to cope with the needs of the robot-mounted revolving laser and research laboratories in the United 15 teams that put so much energy three or more stationary receivers. States (see side bar), was first proposed into their entries. This article reports Still, many teams suffered frustrating by Thomas Dean and held at some of the experiences I had in failures in hardware and especially the 1992 NCAI conference. Dean's helping to design and run the contest software, leading to a general lack concept was to further the research and some reflections, drawn of sleep and noticeable exhaustion into the skills such robots from post mortem abstracts written among the contestants by Monday need--sensing, interpretation, planning, by the competitors, on the relation of night, the day before the contest. I and reacting--by bringing the contest to current research efforts know this from personal experience: together interested parties in a cooperative in mobile robotics.

A simulated (Houston, Tex.) has selected Telepresence technology allows scientists The Consolidated Communications from the Advanced Technology Program signed a strategic alliance agreement Facility's Element Manager at the National Institute of Standards with Gensym (Cambridge, Mass.) to will allow data communications and Technology. The grant will use Gensym's G2 real-time expert system system operators to remotely configure, support Kurzweil AI's development of development tool. Chevron control and monitor the operation a spoken-language interface capable installations are using G2 to intelligently of the front-end processor, providing of controlling PC software applications monitor energy management simultaneous support for through natural language and process simulation in conjunction multiple manned space flight missions, instruction in combination with a with other systems. Logica Cambridge (Cambridge, Developers at Georgia Tech AT&T Universal Card Services England) is developing a virtual reality (Atlanta, Ga.) have designed a neural (Jacksonville, Fla.) has signed a multiyear application to improve presentation network modeling, control and diagnostic agreement with HNC (San Diego, of data for air traffic controllers. Falcon uses see the heights of different aircraft, linked to sensors and other data neural network technology to learn rather than just the altitudes displayed sources on the factory floor, the neural and identify unusual transaction pat-numerically.

The principal investigator (PI)-IN-A-BOX knowledge based system helps astronauts perform science experiments in space. These experiments are typically costly to devise and build and often are difficult to perform. Further, the space laboratory environment is unique; ever changing; hectic; and, therefore, stressful. The environment requires quick, correct reactions to events over a wide range of experiments and disciplines, including ones distant from an astronaut's main science specialty. This environment suggests the use of advanced techniques for data collection, analysis, and decision making to maximize the value of the research performed. PI-IN-A-BOX aids astronauts with quick-look data collection, reduction, and analysis as well as equipment diagnosis and troubleshooting, procedural reminders, and suggestions for high-value departures from the preplanned experiment protocol. The astronauts have direct access to the system, which is hosted on a portable computer in the Space Lab module. The system is in use on the ground for mission training and was used in flight during the October 1993 space life sciences 2 (SLS-2) shuttle mission.

The First covered genetic algorithms, neural elements called alpha helices and International Conference on Intelligent networks, and linguistic methods for beta sheets can be predicted with Systems for Molecular Biology sequence analysis. Invited speakers, some success, using algorithms that (ISMB-93), held 6-9 July 1993 at the who opened each day of the conference, examine a window of surrounding Lister Hill Center of the National were Temple Smith (Boston primary sequence.

We recommend doesn't carry the day. The robot swallow something that's not particularly that those inclined to study must be able to use Q to arrive at its savory: a contradiction.