Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by deficits in interactional synchrony and motor performance, but little is known about the association between them. The current study investigated the association among aberrant interactional synchrony (as measured by interactors’ symmetry in the form of the hand at each time-point along movement’s execution), motor functioning and the level of Autistic traits. In this study, autistic traits were evaluated by the Autistic Spectrum Quotient (AQ). Two tasks were used: (1) an interactional synchrony task where participants and the research assistant were instructed to move their hands together; and (2) a motor planning task which allows for continuous monitoring of natural hand movements. Pearson correlation analysis indicated a significant association between lower communication skills (i.e., higher AQ communication scores) and lower intentional synchrony rates. In addition, lower communication skills were found associated with typical patterns of motor planning and execution characterized by shorter time to start the movement and higher value of max speed. Mediator analyses supported the notion that aberrant intentional synchrony in individuals with low communication skills is partially mediated through typical patterns of motor planning and execution. These results suggest typical patterns of motor functions may account for intentional synchrony difficulties.

This paper presents a comprehensive approach to enhancing spatial orientation for the visually impaired through haptic technology. Our proposed system, designed for portability, incorporates advanced technologies such as Google PyCoral library for computer vision-based object detection, ultrasonic distance sensors and cameras for sensor fusion, and machine learning algorithms, thereby facilitating independent mobility and environment perception for users. Notably, our solution surpasses existing Electronic Travel Aid (ETA) systems by offering a dynamic, energy-efficient solution adaptable to various environments. An evaluation of the system was conducted to assess its effectiveness in a real-world setting. Preliminary results suggest a significant improvement in the mobility and spatial awareness of visually impaired individuals, underscoring the system's potential to impact their daily life positively.

Satellite network optimization is essential, particularly since the cost of manufacturing, launching and maintaining each satellite is significant. Moreover, classical communication optimization methods, such as Minimal Spanning Tree, cannot be applied directly in dynamic scenarios where the satellite constellation is constantly changing. Motivated by the rapid growth of the Star-Link constellation that, as of Q4 2021, consists of over 1600 operational LEO satellites with thousands more expected in the coming years, this paper focuses on the problem of constructing an optimal inter-satellite (laser) communication network. More formally, given a large set of LEO satellites, each equipped with a fixed number of laser links, we direct each laser module on each satellite such that the underlying laser network will be optimal with respect to a given objective function and communication demand. In this work, we present a novel heuristic to create an optimal dynamic optical network communication using an Ant Colony algorithm. This method takes into account both the time it takes to establish an optical link (acquisition time) and the bounded number of communication links, as each satellite has a fixed amount of optical communication modules installed. Based on a large number of simulations, we conclude that, although the underlying problem of bounded-degree-spanning-tree is NP-hard (even for static cases), the suggested ant-colony heuristic is able to compute cost-efficient solutions in semi-real-time.

Muteness at its various levels is a common disability. Most of the technological solutions to the problem creates vocal speech through the transition from mute languages to vocal acoustic sounds. We present a new approach for creating speech: a technology that does not require prior knowledge of sign language. This technology is based on the most basic level of speech according to the phonetic division into vowels and consonants. The speech itself is expected to be expressed through sensing of the hand movements, as the movements are divided into three rotations: yaw, pitch, and roll. The proposed algorithm converts these rotations through programming to vowels and consonants. For the hand movement sensing, we used a depth camera and standard speakers in order to produce the sounds. The combination of the programmed depth camera and the speakers, together with the cognitive activity of the brain, is integrated into a unique speech interface. Using this interface, the user can develop speech through an intuitive cognitive process in accordance with the ongoing brain activity, similar to the natural use of the vocal cords. Based on the performance of the presented speech interface prototype, it is substantiated that the proposed device could be a solution for those suffering from speech disabilities.

This chapter presents a set of algorithmic methods based on particle filter heuristics. We start with an introduction to particle filters, which covers the main motivation and related works. Then, the generic framework for particle filter algorithm is presented, followed by two important use cases regarding indoor positioning and multitarget tracking; for both problems, modified particle filter algorithms are presented followed by experimental results, implementation remarks, and a discussion. Finally, a short list of conclusion and future work are presented.