Showing posts with label Mechanical Engineering. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mechanical Engineering. Show all posts

Friday, 1 April 2022

Lupine Publishers| Use of Renewable Energies in Uzbekistan

 Lupine Publishers| Journal of Robotics and Mechanical Engineering


Abstract

This chapter gives a small part of the work carried out in Uzbekistan on the use of solar and wind energy. It is, of course, impossible to list all the work performed in this area since the 1930s. Therefore, the author drew attention to the part that is associated with the author’s direct scientific and technical work. Here are the works related to the Big Solar Furnace of Uzbekistan, the operation of a modern automated weather station, the measurement and use of wind energy. The socio-economic development of the republic largely depends on a stable electricity supply. Renewable energy sources play an important role in this. In this sense, the construction of a wind power plant with a total capacity of 1,500 megawatts represents a change in the traditional energy system of the Republic of Uzbekistan, which has entered a new energy era.

Keywords: Large solar furnace; Concentrator; Eliostats; Solar radiant energy

Introduction

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In Uzbekistan, the exploitation of renewable energies has increased in recent decades. different sources were used including solar energy and wind energy. Research on the use of solar energy in Uzbekistan was conducted back in the 1930s. In Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and other cities of the republic, work was carried out in all areas of solar engineering: the creation of solar furnaces and their use for obtaining high temperatures, welding, cutting, refining and synthesis of refractory materials, the conversion of solar energy into electrical and mechanical, the creation of new solar materials, solar plants for domestic use, as well as for desalination plants, greenhouses, hotbeds, a solar thermal battery, etc. [1]. The institute of Material science is organized under initiative of AS RUz in 1993 on the basis of scientific laboratories of Physicotechnical institute and a skilled research-and-production complex of “Physics-Sun”-products of scientific and technical idea and architectural-engineering work and territorially located in Tashkent region in the structure of SPA “Physics-Sun” in area Parkent in 56kms from Tashkent. The general territorial area 0,74km2.

Characteristics of Big Solar Furnace, Capacity of 1000Kw

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As it is known, the planet’s source of energy are limited, though the world reserve on the various data are considered huge, but as it is forecasted by the end of the XXI century the problem of power supply becomes most appreciable problem of the next century. Optimistic and pessimistic propositions show that it is necessary to find new energy resources or carry out the necessary actions on developing the so-called alternative renewable energy resources.
The world energy reserve, especially fossil, for example, coal, oil and wood as well per se are gathered under the action of the Solar energy. Besides, in the near future, especially, if the development of the near earth space begins, then the coming energy is the same of that solar energy. Therefore, all energy of the future, in our opinion will be substantially on the basis of the solar energy. Here exist two main problems. The first, assemblage of the energy and the second, conversion it into the most convenient form for consumption and accumulation. If these problems will be solved as much that the efficiency of using will be within the limits of those coefficients of efficiency on which the modern resources work and in addition the expenditures are below or at the same level, then mankind will get rid of the danger of energy starvation, since the solar energy is inexhaustible.
Moreover, the other vital and burning question turned out to be that the reserves of uranium mines is not so big and on progressive power consumption, as accounts of scientists show reserves of uranium mines will be sufficient for 70 years. Therefore, the significance of assimilation ecologically pure that have no effect on heat balance of the Earth and inexhaustible energy of the Sun is the most reliable source. Besides, immense opportunities of using solar energy is hidden on assimilation of cosmic space. Beginning from the new millennium the perspectives of world power engineering development cannot be considered in isolation from problems of protection of the environment and related with the use of renewable sources of energy among which the special place is taken by the solar energy. Efforts are underway towards investigations in the field of solar energy among countries are at the same level with national programs designed for a long period.
By now quite a few various exploratory half-industrial installations are operating in different countries and a big experience is gained on accumulating the solar energy. In Uzbekistan scientific researches on using the solar energy in national economy were started in 1930s at institutes of higher education of Tashkent and Samarkand. After organization of Academy of Sciences this work obtained new bursts(impulses). By the early 70s interesting results were already taken on high-temperature investigations. Specifically, thermal physic properties of some materials were analyzed under high temperatures, including thermal hit and first results are taken on synthesis of new materials in the small solar furnaces. Carriedout activities have shown that solar furnaces are not just scientific instruments, but under determined conditions they can be halfindustrial installation.
A big amount of work was done by the scientists of physicotechnical institute of Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan (PTI) on development of technology that receives super-pure materials under their radiant heating. Adjustment of technology of synthesis of new materials was carried out under laboratory conditions on installations kind of “Uran” with the artificial source of light and on small solar furnaces on a heliostat field of PTI. Using the energy of the Sun in conformity to obtain materials of high fire resistance initially were accomplished by Japanese and French investigators. With this purpose in Japan solar furnaces of little capacity and later on taking into account this experience a Big Solar Furnace in France were built. The results received by French investigators were interesting enough and promising both with scientific and practical points of view. In scientific plan oxide and non-metallic systems with the fluxing temperature over 2000 degree Celsius in the oxidizing atmosphere were studied and it is hard to fulfill using the traditional techniques. By the results of the investigation the properties were revealed indicating that as a result influence of the solar radiation mechanical, optical characteristics and a whole series of other functional parameters of materials significantly improves. In practical aspect the opportunity of getting finished measure crucible products by the centrifugal method was shown. From the point of view technology of synthesis in melt the opportunity of implementation of metastable conditions are challenging since it allows to control phasic structure and accordingly, properties. Besides, it presents considerable interest, an opportunity of obtaining superdispersed particles by means of technology of ultraspeed quenching.
Considering all the advantages and perspectives in conformity with our region, characterizing far from being lack of sunny days, a Big Solar Furnace were created, and being the second installation in the world with such a big capacity, namely, in the focus slightly less than 1 m concentrates energy of 1000 kilowatt and temperature about three thousand degrees Celsius is implemented. In creation of the furnace the effort and work of many enterprises and institutes of the former Soviet Union were put in and support at all stages of the government of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Since past 15 years systematic investigation of many-component oxide system of the highest fire resistance was realized. In the series of investigations combination and natural raw material, typical for our region is included that is important from economical point of view. Synthesized on the Big Solar Furnace (BSF) virtually all the groups of materials of various classes-high oxide, glasses and glassceramics. This allowed to discover features of influence of concentrated solar radiation (CSR) on properties, and correspondingly take a step on the way of directed synthesis.
First of all, to such peculiarities one should take changes of such basic parameter as crystalline structure. As a rule, when synthesizing under the influence of concentrated solar energy more highly symmetrized structure stabilized. Accordingly, premises are created for stability of materials on higher temperatures. Materials are characterized by high purity-in melting cleanup takes place at the expense of evaporation and diffusion in skull zone. Using the technology of ultraspeed quenching showed the opportunity of adjustment of formation process of required crystalline structure and dispersion. Powders of size <5 micron, but ceramics on their basis is characterized by unusual distinctive change of heat resistance and mechanical durability.
By results of investigation of a class of such compounds as titanates pellicles were obtained with refraction coefficient of more than 2.4, that is challenging for use in systems of stabilization of flying devices. In terms of groups of Al, Mg, Fe, having almost null coefficient of thermal expansion ceramic components for engines of internal combustion of adiabatic type. High temperature conducting ceramics were obtained on the basis of zirconium oxide. Superconductors are synthesized with the temperature of 900C. The most vivid example of our elaborations in economy of the Republic was series of work on creation of abrasives. It included technology creation of abrasive synthesis of grain, structure development of bundle on the basis of mineral raw material of the Republic of Uzbekistan and concluding stage was creation of full-scale abrasive circles, using at enterprises combined “ONIKS”. Amount saved from their use (jeweler’s saw is replaced) comes to about 30% from existing cost. Synthesis of new refractory oxide materials, radial thermotreatment with the purpose of improvement of their exploitative properties, thermalphysic determination, spectraloptical characteristics, obtaining superpure materials, examination on radial durability of bundles of new technology and etc. are carried out under high temperatures. For solution of these tasks along with lasers and furnaces with artificial sources concentrators of solar energy are widely used, in addition their use is sometimes are the only method that gives answer to many abovementioned tasks when powerful chromatic circuit stream of sufficiently big size of different spectral composition are required. In these cases the most appropriate ones could be large dimension concentrators of solar energy, similar to Big Solar Furnace (BSF) with the power of 1000 kilowatt Scientific-industrial association “Physics-Sun” Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Main directions of research

Basic researches

a. Research of processes of interaction of the concentrated sunlight with substance.
b. Research of processes of synthesis of nonmetallic materials with the set properties on the Big Solar Furnace.

Technical workings out

a. Working out of the big and small solar power installations, expansion of functionality of the Big Solar Furnace.
b. Working out of technology of synthesis of ceramic fireresistant materials and products from them for needs of medicine, power, oil and gas branch, electronics and light industry.

Complex test: Knots of new technical and constructions design in the conditions of an irradiation the concentrated stream of a sun light of various capacity in pulse and continuous modes.

Unique scientific objects and manufacturing areas

a) The Institute operates a unique object-Big Solar Furnace (BSF) with capacity of 1000kW.
b) BSF represents a difficult optical-mechanical complex with the automatic control system consisting from heliostats field and the parabolic concentrator, forming in a focal zone of the concentrator (a technological tower) a radiant stationary stream of high density.
c) Total area of reflecting surface of heliostats field - 3022,5m
2, concentrator -1840m2.

For the oil and gas industry the elements of a ceramic pontoon used in technological process of storage of oil and mineral oil for the purpose of decrease of losses, connected with evaporation volatile fractions are issued. Besides porcelain spheres for adsorbers of zeolitic clearing of gas, and also skilled ceramic filters for clearing of natural gas of various impurity are issued. For the textile industry are issued more than 30 kinds thread drivers and thread to direct. For the electro technical industry cases of safety locks of type PN-2 on 100, 250, 400А are made. Structures of high-voltage electro technical porcelain are developed, experimental batches are made and tests of cases of safety locks PKT-10 are conducted. On the basis of the developed ceramic weights manufacture elements to electro irons is debugged
Most a vivid example of the contribution of our creating out in Republic economy was the cycle of works on creation of abrasives. It included creation of technology of synthesis of abrasive grain, working out of structures of a sheaf on the basis of mineral raw materials Republic of Uzbekistan and a finishing cycle there was a creation of the natural abrasive circles used at enterprise “ONYX”. The economy from their use (diamond circles are replaced) makes about 30 % from the existing cost price. SPA “Physics- Sun” particularly offers THEM synthesis by fusion on the solar furnace composite materials of the set structure on a basis oxide of aluminum, zirconium, the titan, magnesium, rare-earth elements, etc., for manufacturing of constructional, heat-resistant, chemically inert ceramics with certain electro physical properties.
The concentrator focuses reflected from heliostats solar beams on a focal zone in diameter 1.5м, where is created high energy. The focal area is located in a technological tower where special devices are established and the equipment allowing to investigate the physical and chemical processes proceeding at high temperature influence on substances. On the basis of unique object international projects STSU are carried out Р-3438. «Create out of ecologically pure technology of creation of technical ceramics with solar energy use» and Uzb-121 «Create out of optimum technology of transformation of a solar energy in laser radiation»

Main results in fundamental research:
1) The phenomenon of threshold condensation streams high-temperature materials in conditions of free cooling for the first time is revealed and dependence of temperature of condensation on modes of laser heating is revealed.
2) The phenomenon of multistage condensation streams high-temperature materials in a mode of free cooling for the first time is revealed.
3) Experimental data on spectral-optical properties of some progressive materials widely used in modern industries for the first time are received in the field of high temperatures, in a liquid phase and in a zone of fusion.

Practical developments

The institute has an industrial line “Ceramics” where is made on the basis of the materials developed and synthesized on the Big Solar Furnace. These materials, possessing unique operational and physical and chemical characteristics, such as the small factor of thermal expansion, high durability and thermal stability in extreme environments, have a wide scope. These ceramic materials can be used to protect spaceships from overheating when they approach the Sun, in blast furnaces, in glass melting furnaces, etc.
a. Multipurpose ceramics (high temperature heaters, thermo coppers, transformers, gas burners, radiators for medicine).
b. thread drivers for textile industry.
c. Safety locks of type PN-2 on 100, 250, 400А and insulators for the electrical power industry.
d. Ceramic pontoons for the oil and gas industry.
e. Ceramic balls for adsorbers of zeolitic clearing of gas of the oil and gas industry

Developed and creating out installation for obtaining hydrogen, electrical power and high temperature streams simultaneously. Small solar furnaces by capacity 1500W which within the limits of the international contracts are developed and created for the Republics Egypt (Metallurgy institute in Cairo) and Indian institute of powder metallurgy. Flash of absorption of laser radiation for the first time is found experimentally out at laser heating sublimation refractory material. The new direction recognized in the world high-temperature spectral reflection meters - «a method of probing flash» is developed, allowing to carry out{spend} measurement of spectral-optical properties of modern materials with high accuracy in the field of high temperatures and in a zone of phase transitions where there is a sharp change indicatrices reflections of a researched surface. The technology of creation of ceramic materials with beforehand set properties a method of a radiating warming up on the Big Solar Furnace is created. On the basis of such technology materials with demanded properties, which scientifically - practical tests have passed are created necessary for needs of a national economy and medicine.

As a result of research of processes of interaction of the concentrated light stream with high-temperature materials the mechanism of formation of ultra-disperse particles in the field of the concentrated solar radiation is revealed. The mechanism has a basis of creation of technology of reception micro powders on the BSF. Development of the given direction can result to new and nonconventional methods in helio material sciences. On the basis of system Al2O3 - ZrO2 the mechanism of formation of a heterogeneous phase owing to diffusion of modifying additives in high-temperature ceramic materials is revealed. The mechanism allows to describe a condition of materials at influence of heats and mechanical loadings, and also to adjust their manufacture.

Since 2001 at the initiative of the President of Republic action for ignition of a torch of sports for pupils of high schools, colleges and students of University («Umid nihollari», «Barkamol avlod», “Universiada”) on focus of the BSF. Direct participation in of such actions of employees of the Device of the President, Academy of Sciences, the Ministry of the Higher Education and Olympic committee, the Society «Vatanparvar» has allowed to carry out these actions at high level.

Opportunities for Using the Resource of Wind Energy in Uzbekistan

It is known that in the future a characteristic feature of the development of modern energy is the wide involvement of the country’s energy balance of renewable energy sources (RES). In a number of countries and regions, the share of electricity among renewable energy generated by wind farms is a real competitor to traditional energy [2]. Estimation of the global potential of wind energy on the Earth’s surface is about 1200 TW. Wind power is present in more than 79 countries, of which 24 countries have more than 1GW of installed wind power in Denmark, 20% of electricity is generated from wind energy, in Spain this figure has reached 8%, in the Netherlands and the Northern Lands of Germany 10%. It is expected that by 2020 the share of generated wind turbine energy alone will be 15% of the generated electricity, which is half of the total forecast for the use of alternative sources [3].
To use the main energy resources of renewable energy sources on a large industrial scale in Uzbekistan is solar, hydraulic and wind energy. Their local use in autonomous power plants (sparsely populated mountain and rural areas, remote small consumers, etc.) are not considered in view of their small share in the balance of electricity in the republic. By the condition of their effectiveness as power plants, the Uzbek-Energo State Joint-Stock Company and the volume of availability for the conditions and climate of Uzbekistan that are connected to the electric network of the territorial branches, the above RESs for electricity generation are located in the indicated descending order.
The introduction of renewable energy is one of the most important priorities for the transition of the economy of the Republic of Uzbekistan to innovative rails and environmentally friendly technologies. The relevance of this direction was once again emphasized in the Decree of the President of Uzbekistan Sh.M. Mirziyoyev dated May 26, 2017 No. PP-30-12 “On the Program of Measures for the Further Development of Renewable Energy, Increasing Energy Efficiency in the Economic and Social Spheres for 2017-2021” The decree is aimed at conducting scientific and practical research and developing a program of measures for the further development of renewable energy, as well as at the practical use of wind energy, taking into account the climatic characteristics of the regions of Uzbekistan. The Decree’s implementation program is intended to increase the generated renewable energy capacities to 2021 by 1,003.9MW, of which hydroelectric capacity is 601.9MW, solar energy by 300.0MW, wind energy by 102.0MW.
The main limiting factor for the widespread introduction of wind energy in Uzbekistan is the lack of incentive measures for the population and industrial consumers, characteristic of Germany, Holland, Denmark, the USA and China and, as a result, high capital investments that completely fall on the shoulders of the consumer. Another significant problem is the lack of enterprises for the production of wind generators of various capacities and components based on the most modern technologies. Therefore, investors in tendering projects of a wind power plant (wind farm) are guided by the use of expensive imported wind turbines. This increases the cost of electricity, inhibits the development of wind energy, the necessary solutions to reduce wind farms are the production of wind turbines in the country, using local raw materials.
The work [4- 6] studied the formation of wind flows over the territory of Uzbekistan and their features, due to the orographic parameters of the territory and synoptic processes in the atmosphere, affecting the characteristics of wind flows. When designing wind turbines, it is necessary to determine the wind potential of the area where construction is planned. Wind farms (wind farms) are being built in places where the wind speed is higher than 4.5m/s. Currently, six modern meteorological stations operate in different regions of Uzbekistan to study the solar and wind cadaster. One of the six modern weather stations is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Big solar furnace with the power of 1000 kilowatt Scientific-industrial association “Physics-Sun” Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

In meteorology, anemometers are used to measure wind speed. According to the principle of action, mechanical anemometers are distinguished, in which the movement of gas rotates a cup wheel or impeller, thermal anemometers, the principle of which is based on measuring the decrease in temperature of a heated body (usually an incandescent wire), and the operation of ultrasonic anemometers is based on measuring the speed of sound in a flowing gas depending on its speed. A cup anemometer is the most common type of anemometer, which is installed at a standard height of 10m see Figure 2 for measuring wind speed. As a rule, the heads of small wind turbines are located at a height of 5 to 50m. To determine the velocity vz (at a height of z m) at these heights, the approximation formula (1) is often used, which includes the standard wind speed us measured at a height of 10 m, namely [7].

where, vz is the average wind speed at an arbitrary height z, vs is the wind speed at a standard height.

Figure 2: A modern weather station installed in the Parkent region of Tashkent viloyat of Uzbekistan.

For open spaces, the parameter b = 1/7 = 0.14. The smaller the value of the parameter b, the less the loads experienced by the wind wheel blade in the lower and upper positions will differ. As you know, wind is a vector quantity, which, along with the average value of speed, is also characterized by an instantaneous value - a gust. That is, modern measuring instruments make it possible to measure not only the average wind speed values, but also the change in wind speed in a short time. In Figure 3 & 4 shows the results of experimental measurements of the gust and average wind speed at the Parkent weather station MHP MS4-12-1. They show the statistical nature of the change in these parameters over the course of a month, which should be taken into account when developing renewable energy sources.

Figure 3: Gust and hourly averaged wind speed values measured by the Parkent weather station MHP MS4-12-1 in the month of June 2013.

Figure 4: Wind directions measured by the Parkent weather station MHP MS4-12-1 in the month of June 2013 (wind direction - wind direction relative to the north, wind direction StDev - standard deviation of the change in wind direction within the measurement interval in degrees).

In 2010, to study the meteorological conditions at a selected site in the village of Yubileiny, Bostanlyksky district, a 52-meterhigh meteorological mast was installed. Anemometric devices for 1.5 years, recorded meteorological data around the clock with an interval of 10 minutes, which were subsequently processed in Germany according to a special program. As a result of the research, a pilot wind power plant with a capacity of 750kW was built in the village of Yubileiny, Bostanlyk district, Tashkent region (Figure 5). Based on the results of the data obtained, a project was developed, technical requirements for equipment were formulated, and an experimental wind turbine was built. The generated electric energy of wind turbines will be supplied to a single energy network.

Figure 5: General view of a wind turbine 0.75 MW in the Tashkent region.

To predict the generation of electricity from a grid or autonomous wind farm, it is necessary to assess the economic feasibility of wind farm efficiency. The basis for such estimates is the results of indicators of long-term monitoring obtained on the basis of real data. Wind turbine power generation data connected to the central network is recorded by a remote monitoring system. The monitoring results from October 2017 to October 2018 are shown in Figure 6.

Figure 6: Wind turbine electricity generation indicators with a capacity of 0.76MW (kW · h for months).

As can be seen from Figure 6, preserving the constancy of the air flow rate, the generation of electricity increases. At the same time, the analysis shows that the lower wind power generation is explained as follows, if the wind speed is less than 4m/s, the wind turbines will not generate electricity. At a wind speed of 14-15m/ s, a wind turbine generates 750kW of rated power. It should be noted that in order to get a more complete picture of the station’s operation, it is necessary to carry out at least one-year monitoring of its operation.

The installation in the village of Yubileinaya, Bostanlyk district of Tashkent region is the first experimental installation for conducting research and monitoring wind turbine indicators, the results obtained, which will be taken into account when designing and constructing a wind farm in Uzbekistan. It is planned to build a wind power plant with a capacity of 200 megawatts (MW) worth $1.8 billion at Kutchi pasture in the Gijduvan region of Bukhara viloyat.

As part of this project, in September 2019, the ceremony of commissioning the wind speed meters of a huge object took place [8]. The foreign enterprise “Liaoning Leader Gijduvan Wayd Energy” has already collected 6,000 hectares of land for a major project in the area. The location of the selected area is considered optimal for sustained winds. This will play an important role in ensuring the high efficiency of devices that convert renewable energy into electricity. The masts of wind speed meters have a height of 120 meters. Upon completion of the study, several dozen masts will be built at this height at the first stage of the project with three large blades of 35 meters each. It is expected that the wind farm will be commissioned in the fall of 2020. The project cost is 240 million US dollars. It supplies electricity not only to Gijduvan, but also to some other areas.

Conclusions for the Chapter

In Uzbekistan, there are favorable conditions for the use of renewable types of energy, especially solar and wind energy [9]. A large solar furnace with a thermal power of 1000kW is operated here and small solar installations with concentrators of the type: parabola, parabolocylinder, Fresnel mirror concentrating system of various power are being built. In the Pap district of Namangan region, a photovoltaic station with a capacity of 130kW is operated in test mode. The efficiency of this FES is controlled by the staff of the International Institute of Solar Energy [10,11]. Much attention is paid to the use of wind energy in Uzbekistan. In test mode, a wind turbine with a horizontal axis of rotation with a power of 0.75MW is operated. Modern automatic weather stations have been installed in six regions of the country to determine the resources of solar and wind energy, as well as to predict the efficiency of solar and wind power plants [12].

Read More Lupine Publishers Robotics Journal Articles: https://robotics-engineering-lupine-journal.blogspot.com/

 

Friday, 25 March 2022

Lupine Publishers| The Need for Ethical Artificial Intelligence and the Question of Embedding Moral and Ethical Principles

 Lupine Publishers| Journal of Robotics and Mechanical Engineering

Introduction

The issue of Facebook moderators made topical headlines in 2019. When confronted with horrifying images such as terrorist assaults filmed online, moderators are required to be extremely reactive in order to eliminate the scenes violating human dignity from the social network as rapidly as possible. In [1], my colleagues and I explored whether it was possible or not to model human values such as virtue. Modeling could eventually make it possible to automatize all or part of the moderators’ arduous and ungrateful work. In a first part, this article deals with the need for a reflection on ethical Artificial Intelligence (AI). After providing a definition of what AI is, I then discuss how ethical rules could be implemented in a system using AI. In a second part, I ask myself whether it is possible to embed moral and ethical principles. Using a utility function can help agents to make ethical decisions, but it is also important to be cautious about the limitations of such a sometimes-simplistic approach. Ethics must be appreciated in the social and technical context in which it is first developed and then implemented [2].

The Need for Ethical Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence

A definition AI can be described by a universal triad, namely the data brought by the environment, the operations defined as the logic which mimic human behavior and finally, a control phase aiming at retroacting over its previous actions. Its definition is essentially based on two complementary views: one focused on the behavior and how it acts, especially as a human and the other which emphasizes the reasoning processes and how it reproduces human skills [3]. However, both points of view insist on the rational behavior that an AI must have. Moreover, it is important to pay attention to which kind of AI we are dealing with: strong or weak AI [4]. Weak AI, also known as narrow AI is shaped by behaviors answering to observable and specific tasks that may be represented by a decisional tree. On the other side, the strong AI, or artificial general intelligence, can copy human-like mental states. For this type of AI, this means that decision abilities or ethical behavior are issues that need to be taken care of. Finally a strong AI could find the closest solution to the given objective and learn with an external reversions. The latter is the one that is posing unprecedented problems that researchers are just starting to study. In fact, a system embedding strong AI is able to learn without human assistance or injection of additional data since the AI algorithm generates its own knowledge. Therefore, the exterior observer or the user of such agents will no longer know what the AI knows, what it is capable of doing nor the decisions it is going to take. Hence the need to establish an ethical framework that defines an area of action and prevents the system from taking decisions contrary to the ethics.

How to implement ethics rules ?

In order to implement ethical rules, there are two approaches. The first one named top down approach is based on ethical ruleabiding machines [5-6]. The strategy is to respect unconditionally the ethical principles related to morality such as “Do not kill”. However, without understanding the potential consequences of the empirical decisions taken, an AI system creates numerous approximations that are a significant drawback. This can make rules conflict even for the 3 laws of robotics [7]; it may also lead to unintended consequences due to added rules [8]. It should be noted that even inaction can be taken into account for injuring humans. Moreover, the complexity of interaction between humans’ priorities may lead to interpersonal inappropriate comparisons of various added laws [9]. The second method called bottom up, focuses on case studies in order to learn general concepts. The case studies make it possible for a strong AI to autonomously learn wrong and biased principles and even generalize them by applying them in new situations it encounters. These types of approaches are considered to be dangerous. In fact, in this process of learning, basic ethical concepts are acquired through a comprehensive assessment of the environment and its compliance with previous knowledge. This is done without any bottom-up procedure. The result of this learning will be taken into account for future decision making [10,11]. Eventually, in the case where an AI algorithm is facing a new situation it has not encountered before, the extrapolation without a control phase may result in perilous situations for humans [12].

Artificial Intelligence Embedding Moral and Ethical Principles

A utilitarian approach of ethics consists in choosing in the case of a set of possibilities the solution that leads to the action consequently maximizing intrinsic good or net pleasure [13]. This involves quantifying Good or Evilfrom a given situation. However, certain situations supported by ethical reasons with an empirical study may prohibit the combined execution of certain actions. These complex cases are at the origin of dilemmas and the ethical principles do not make it possible to establish a preference. Therefore, autonomous agents need to be endowed with the ability to distinguish the most desirable option in the light of the ethical principles involved.
To achieve this goal, this article proposes in the following subsections a method called a utility function as a mean of avoiding ethical dilemmas.

Using a utility function to help agents make ethical decisions

In order to achieve this goal, a number of solutions have been proposed [14]. One of them it the utility function, also known as objective function. This function is used to assign values to outcomes or decisions. The optimal solution is the one that maximizes the utility function.This approach based on quantitative ethics determines which action maximizes benefit and minimizes harm. Its objective is to make it possible for an AI algorithm to take the right decisions particularly when it encounters an ethical dilemma. From a mathematical point of view, the utility function takes a state or a situation as an input parameter and gives as a result an output which is a number [15]. This number is an indication of how good the given state or situation is for the agent. The agent should then make the decision that leads to the state that maximizes the utility function. For instance, let’s take the case of an autonomous vehicle, and let’s assume that the car is in a situation where harm is unavoidable, and that it would inevitably hit either two men on the road or crash into a wall killing the passenger it is carrying [16]. Based on our previous utilitarian ethics definition, the decision that will minimize harm is the one that will lead to kill as few people as possible. Therefore, the car should crash and kill the passenger to save the two pedestrians because the utility function of this outcome is the highest. The same reasoning applies for military drones when they have to choose between multiple outcomes that involve moral and ethical principles.

Autonomous cars embedding AI algorithms using the utility function are not yet marketed. Some models available to the general public have an autopilot mode that still requires the presence of a human being behind the steering wheel who will make a decision in case of a problem. Fully autonomous cars still ride in test environments [17]. In the near future, the people who are likely to buy this type of car will primarily be public institutions such as municipalities. For instance, the city of Helsinki is testing an autonomous bus line, RoboBusLine which carries passengers on a defined road with a limited speed and an autonomous shuttle is also in service in Las Vegas [18]. However, these are still prototypes in a test phase with an operator on board. The other customers that may be interested in using autonomous vehicles are companies that make deliveries given the advantage of automating the tasks resulting in cost reduction and efficiency. In fact, Amazon, FedEx and UPS are investigating solutions for driverless trucks. The utility function is currently under investigation as an active solution to avoid ethical dilemmas non-modifying on-policy [19]. Autonomous robots are expanding, and the aim is not only to deal with ethical dilemmas but also to reduce uncertainty by quantifying problems such as exploration or unknown mapping; both can be stochastically defined (Shannon or Rényi’s entropy) [20,21]. Describing and taking actions in a world incompletely defined can be done with the help of estimators but utility functions describe the perceptual state in line with the rules, and an active strategy can hence be implemented. This is already done for robot vision for example [22].

Limits and dangers of the utilitarian approach

The approach previously described and consisting in quantifying situations and assessing them with a utility function through a model has its own limits as far as strong AI is concerned. For weak AI, engineers at the design stage can implement decision trees to establish rules. They can anticipate the behavior of the AI more easily. On the other hand, as mentioned in section 2.1, advanced AI systems learn directly from the environment and adapt accordingly. By doing so, an external observer cannot always predict or anticipate the actions of such systems [23]. This is true for the Alpha Go algorithm that is taking decisions and implements strategies even experts in the game cannot understand although it leads to an optimum solution. The intelligent agent behaves like a black box whose internal functioning is unknown. This is particularly dangerous when it comes to autonomous vehicles or UAV drones that put human life at stake. Using only a utility function to decide whether or not a UAV could be used in an armed conflict could be considered as a war crime. Indeed, it is essential to test AI algorithms in different environments [23] and cover as many situations as possible before they are registered for use. This involves confronting algorithms with different situations and ensuring they behave properly by taking the most ethical decisions possible. It will then be possible to identify anomalies and correct them immediately.

Conclusion

In just a few years, artificial intelligence has become a strategic issue in Europe, the USA and China. For fundamental considerations of balance of powers between that of the GAFAM on the one hand and ethics at the service of the greatest number of people on the other hand, it will be crucial to develop an “ethics in context”. This is more than computational ethics and utility functions developed by economists. It will be possible to implement an embedded code of ethics using artificial ethical agents, but only if ethical principles remain submitted to a democratic deliberation involving all participants.My future research will focus on the question of “human values and AI” at different levels: universality, continentality (USA vs. China for example), nation-state and local communities using AI.

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Thursday, 17 March 2022

Lupine Publishers| Defining Quantum Artificial Intelligence (Q.A.I)

    Lupine Publishers| Journal of Robotics and Mechanical Engineering

Abstract

As we knew already Artificial Intelligence (A.I) is mimic of Natural Intelligence (N.I) of Human Brain on Silicon Chips having all intelligence processing as similar and possible for human brain with self-decisions, self-controls, self-programs, self-thinking with time management. Due to the advancement in A.I each day Humankind lives becoming comfortable, fast, smart and successful and those things which are seems to be impossible started to become possible from past to present in all walks of life. Now refocus our attention on Natural Intelligence (God-made) of mankind and other intelligent species on planet earth. When we genuinely observed we can see the biggest “Commonness” in the pattern and structure of Universe, Superclusters, Thunders, Veins, Arteries, Roots, Branches, Seas and “Neurons-Schemas” of human brain and that is the point of rethinking for new dimensions exploration in Natural Intelligence (God-made) to apply with reengineering and modification to mimic Artificial Intelligence (Man-made) on the basis of those findings which I coined as “Quantum Artificial Intelligence (Q.A.I)”.

Keywords: Natural Intelligence (N.I), Artificial Intelligence (A.I), Quantum Natural Intelligence (Q.N.I), Quantum Artificial Intelligence (Q.A.I).

Introduction

(Figure 1) As I mentioned already analogically pattern of our Universe, Superclusters and Human Brain Neural-Schemas are the same. Hence not only signals transmissions and receptions for Intelligence processing are the same but also Intelligence signals nature (format) are the same which is Quanta (Light). Entire Universe is the mixture of light and dark energies and matter as its building blocks, therefore all the living/non-living creatures, objects, entites, elements, occurrences, appearances, illusions either made from or born using same building blocks lights with various frequencies for isolations and that’s why human brain too. On the basis of available some proved research write-ups and with my perspective Universe and Every Human Brain directly connected and link up/down with light frequency and Quantum Mechanics also engaged to prove it. Our Thoughts are the Things, our perception and formulation to life and Universe also because of same happened, thus what all we feel physical in actual “Virtual” and are Quantum images, frames, pictures or illusions of our thoughts frequency in front appearance of our eyes to develop, structure and enhance our intelligence called wisdom too. Hence Natural Intelligence is made up of light energies forms and various tuned frequencies (according to Stings theory) called “Quantum Natural Intelligence (Q.N.I)” and when after full flagged understanding and clearance in Q.N.I we will be able to mimic it artificially called “Quantum Artificial Intelligence (Q.A.I)”. the concept herein instead of Silicon Chips or Electronics Artificial Intelligence, A.I engineering using lights forms, light signals circuits or Quantum Circuits which are just a right and precise combinations of different wavelengths and light frequencies (Quanta/Photons) with behaving as wave (light data buses) and particles (Signals) for light data buses and signals to formulate processing logics and build-up Artificial Intelligence using light. In mankind in future develop such a light which seems to be just radiation but in actual complicated light engineering using light waves and particles (Quanta) in billions of Quanta’s and acting as complete Quantum Artificial Intelligence (Q.A.I) based robotic assembly to win the world, Universe and Multiverse.

Conclusion

If in near future scientist and researchers able to understand what I am tried to share as biggest fact of the Universe and the Human Brain that, all brains directly connected with light frequency with entire Universe and the structure of Universe, Superclusters and Human Brain Neural-Schemas are the same as well as intelligence processing also same using the concepts and principles of Quantum Physics and Quantum Mechanics. Therefore, on this ground Human Brain is Quantum Natural Intelligence (Q.N.I) and all formulation in brain of life and Universe due to the light intelligence. After understanding this phenomenon of Q.N.I scientist and engineers can move for the engineering of “Quantum Artificial Intelligence (Q.A.I) which would be just appearances of light bundles and bunches with various color lights with different wavelength confined at single spot but in actual it would be space robots, space craft, and transportation sources and so on. Hence this intelligent light form can send/transmit with the speed of light for instant time and space travels in Universe to explore other planets, galaxies, Superclusters, stars and also to prove the concept of “Multiverse (Parallel Universes)”. Human Intelligence as Quantum Natural Intelligence (Q.N.I) and its mimic Artificial Intelligence as Quantum Artificial Intelligence (Q.A.I) will become exactly same, therefore direct connection between mankind and all robots will be possible without encodings, decoding’s and interfaces for communication with intelligent signals processing, conversions, translation and actuations. Hence Q.A.I is nothing but Ultra Artificial Intelligence light form (light A.I based robotics) and might be such a several Q.A.I robots, space craft, objects and Alien lives already exist in entire Universe and Multiverse and we are surrounded with them, and that what we just consider or think as light or radiation but which is not.

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Friday, 11 March 2022

Lupine Publishers| Business in Artificial Intelligence

   Lupine Publishers| Journal of Robotics and Mechanical Engineering


Abstract

There is no need to get understand what is Artificial Intelligence with the relevance of it in day by day expansion and coverage in all needs and applications of life and how its changing all facet and scenarios on planet earth and might be in space in near future which is itself initiatives startup now. Hence, I wrote this article with the intention what are the possibilities in near future for business scopes, market demands, customers/consumer’s needs, future job forms, future employments skills for survival and future employments in brief being one of the successful Scientist, Practitioner, Educator and worldwide Speaker in the field of Artificial Intelligence who coined several new future research terms in A.I.

Keywords: Future Business; Advanced A.I; Space Robotics; Virtual A.I; DeepMind; Bionic Brain; Medical Robotics; Humanoid; Virtual Robotics; Intelligence Devices

Modeling

There are many more domains to work and market in Artificial Intelligence, but I choose only some most promising change agent and strong market players in my Hexagonal Model below. These are Bionic/DeepMind & Humanoid, Space Robotics & Cyborgs, Consumer Robotics & NLP echo Devices/Assistance, Military & Defense Robotics, Medical & Nano Robotics and Bionic, DeepMind & Humanoid (Figure 1). The most market scope field is Bionic Brain (Human Brain like Neural Schemas and Processing), DeepMind learning and Humanoid (Human-like-Robots) engineering/ designing, manufacturing and selling as well as its respective work skills and employments for future jobs openings. Equal scope and attention to Space Robotics and Cyborg Devices/Human elements which has already started mankind journey and soon technologies near to reach Moon and Mars explorations and has great market and hence future jobs in the same. Consumers Robotics, NLP echo Devices/Assistance also has sustainable future business and jobs opportunities after the success of Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa etc. and several smart phones and likewise devices /products connected with Internet of Things (IoT) to make human lives easy, comfortable and better each day like smart kitchens, smart vehicles, smart phones/devices, smart homes, consumer appliances and so on. A.I has also great expansion in the domain of Military and Defense Robots for high end securities with saving solders lives as well as Medical Robots, Surgical Robots, Nano Robots for inside body diagnosis has large market and jobs options. In this race equal scope, attention and market to develop human brain like software intelligence called virtual humanoid which would be hardware platform independent as compare to windows, IOS , MAC and Android intelligence and companies like Google, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon will work towards it which leads to future job skills and market.

Figure 1: A.I Market Hexagonal, Source: Dr. Sadique Shaikh & Tanvir Begum.

Conclusion

The future employments, future jobs and future skills only based on two strong technologies Artificial Intelligence (A.I) and Internet of Things (IoT) to get connected all living non-living Natural Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence based human, objects, elements and things to establish communication, to command and process for task accomplishment.

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Friday, 25 February 2022

Lupine Publishers| Rob’ autism Project: Social Learning at the Center of the Therapy

 Lupine Publishers| Journal of Robotics and Mechanical Engineering

Abstract

Rob Autism project was started in 2014, it aims at setting a therapy support for ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder) teenagers based on robot and culture mediation. The center of the therapy support is on the notion of liance, the capacity to build and destroy links with the environment. Three points were addressed to restore liance: individual, collective and social liance. The results show a redefinition of the subjects’identity and their legitimacy as members of the society. The experiments were organized in 20 working sessions of 1 hour and involve six teenagers and three robots; the program is concluded with a final public show restituting a robotic play designed during the working sessions. Up to now, four groups were studied (24 participants in total).

Keywords: Rob ‘Autism; Autistic Spectrum Disorder; Social Learning; Robot; Programming

Introduction

Using robots as mediators in therapy support of children and teenagers with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has been performed for five decades. The first official project was lead by Dautenhahn and Werry in the 90s 5, with the Aurora project. They propose four robotic platform to study the behavior of ASD children facing a robot, from the observation that ASD candidates had a natural attraction to electronics (tablets, computers, robots or other machines). Dautnhahn and Werry developed the robot companion paradigm (Robots as so- cial actors), where the robot has preprogrammed functions to behave like a human being. It was used to solicit an interlocutor to perform a given exercise concluded by congratulations (successful answer) or request to do again (wrong answer). The12 Insert Authors’ Names here robot would either face a single child (communication skills), or a group of children (reproduction of movements).The companion robot paradigm was accepted by all researchers since then, and companies develop software to improve it, to make it behave more like a human being, like a friend, a tutor, a teacher or a protector. The studies focused on different aspects of the exercises to be performed to improve specific skills like communication, behavior, motion, and so on [1-5]. Many researchers also studied the aspect this companion robot should have (humanoid vs. non humanoid), should it need articulated language or just generate sounds, lights and color. Several robots were designed specifically for these studies, which could not be reproduced by other researchers (nor approaches compared, as a consequence) because the robots were not easy to obtain, expensive and needed specific robotic skills. In 2009, Softbank Robotics released the NAO robot which allowed many research teams to work with an affordable robots, the robots being the same in the different team (the effect of the appearance of the robot disappeared and comparison of the approaches were more realistic). New exercises and solicitations for the ASD children were developed to improve therapy support based on the companion robot [1,3]. Still, no current answer exists to the following question: how do we replace the robot by a human being and obtain the same reactivity with the human than with the robot?
The rob’ Autism project was initiated in 2014, proposing an alternative to the companion robot paradigm. We have called it the extension robot paradigm, in which the ASD person programs the robot to make it act on his / her behalf. The operator becomes at the same time actor and spectator of his actions, remaining protected behind the (rigid) body of the robot. In this approach, the operator is not solicited by the robot, but becomes an acting person in the world. This paper addresses the definition of a social individual to explain a possible approach to use robotic mediation in therapy support for ASD teenagers, pointing that the robot allows modifications of an individual but does not operate the modifications. Then the therapy must be worked out carefully to accompany the subject to rebuild his identity. Section 2 presents the specific points of an individual definition that are used to design the therapy support, section 3 describe the context of the experiments. Section 4 focuses on the three levels of liance that are worked out during the 21 workshops of the program, sections 5 analyzes the obtain results.

Between the Self and the World

An individual is that which exists as a distinct entity within a group. It is a person separate from other people and possessing his or her own needs or goals, rights and responsibilities. Insert Paper’s Title here 3 The frontier between the self, defined according one’s frame, and the world (the non-self), results from a complex process which relies on several notions such as envelop, linking / delinking dynamics, otherness and selfhood. This frontier is changing, in the sense that it can be affected by external events (the making, adaptation to the environment) or by internal events (the being, search for balance). It guarantees a subtle and fragile balance of the individual, as it is permanently crossed by a flow of information from outside-in and from inside-out. The frontier leads to the definition of identity, which is studied by numerous research areas: psychoanalyze, psychology, sociology, anthropology, semiotic, and so on. The individual can be separate in two parts: a part that constitutes it, and a part that allows it to (inter)act. Its constitution includes two elements [1] a fixed, rigid and structured frame leading to a set of unchangeable rules, knowledge and certainties [2] a strong-dynamics built from a numerouscollisions between realities and imaginary, with a role of balancing regulation (sensibility). The permanent movement is essential as it has a balancing regulation role (the sensitivity). In this dual situation fixed frame / dynamic motion, the constituted individual evolves in a half-space: mobile and immobile, at the same time.

Interaction is based on perception and involves the notion of liance. It is a balance between reliance and defiance. The reliance is the capability to establish links with the world (transduction). It is said that it cannot happen without mediation. dalliance is defined as “non-reliance”, and groups the capabilities to destroy links with the world. The permanent flow of data between the individual and the world is regulated by his/her capability to voluntarily create and destroy links with other social individuals or objects. The rules constituting the frame can evolve with the equilibrium between reliance and defiance, it is the social learning process. This learning is made difficult in case the reliance deliance events are too numerous, in which situation a rigid frame cannot exist; and this too permanent dynamics generates anguish. The notion of temporality is also important here, as the notion of time can only be difined with an adequate identity definition, i.e. in a rigid, existing and identified frame. A robot is defined in a half-space from its design: inanimate and animate, at the same time. Real and imaginary, at the same time. A robot is a mediator, it connects to the individual through his / her capability of reliance. Moreover, the robot offers a simplified, rigid framework in which some actions can be performed, which is reassuring for the user, who feels safe when interacting. The robot is particularly adapted for ASD support, but the robot does not itself operate the change: it takes the operator / interlocutor in its halfspace with the feeling of safety that frees the capability of social learning. When the operator / interlocutor is in the half-space, he / she can be reached by a therapy. The work we proposed in the Rob’Autism project, and present thereafter, consists in rebuilding the liance to redefine an individual with ASD, from face-to-face discussions to group and society acknowledgment as a person.

Rob’Autism Project

Rob’Autism is a multidisciplinary project linking medical, social sciences, arts, robotics and computer sciences fields. It was born in 2014, and is a collaboration Nantes (school of engineering) and the non-profit organization
Robots! (Robotics and arts). The project is supported by private organizations mentioned in the thanks section. Rob’Autism consists in a therapy support for teenagers with ASD; it lasts 21 weeks and it is based on voluntary interactions between participants and the world using robots as prostheses in communication. The participants program the robots to make them do or say whatever they want, within the techno- logical limits of the machine. The robotics and non-robotics workshops, as well as global organization and observed results of the program, were described in [4-10].

The Robot Extension Paradigm

Rob’Autism program proposes several originalities in comparison to classical ap- proaches, among them the fact that the robot is not used as a companion. The robot is not making any pre-programmed solicitation to a participant, but the par- ticipants program it and use it as an extension of themselves. through the robot, they can safely interact with the world. They do not behave as followers, but as actors. They transfer their own creativity into the world, and their creativity, their contribution to the world is recognized by the world. This allows them to differentiate what acknowledge (the world) and what generates (the self), identify the parties and have a better view of their frontier. When the companion robot paradigm pre- vents from closing on oneself, the extension robot paradigm offers an opening to the world, redefining identity and replacing the individual at the center of the action. As previously mentioned, the robot does not operate the change in the operator / interlocutor. But the use of a robot is fundamental (particularly humanoid robot), as it places the operator / interlocutor in a halfspace in which he / she can be more easily reached by a therapy.

Subjects and Material

24 subjects, distributed in four groups of six ASD teenagers aged from 11 to 16 years old participated in this experiment: one group per year from 2014 to 2018 (21 boys and 3 girls). All subjects’ parents gave written informed consent before entering the study. The 24 subjects had some ability to read and write, but not all of them were going to school for their education. They were all familiar with the use of a computer. Some had met the other participants and workshop staff before the program started, and some discovered them at the first session of the program. There was no selection on a specific kind of autism. During one complete program All the robotic sessions happen in the same room, and all the non-programming sessions happen in a same room too, but different from the programming sessions. The program uses 3 humanoid robots NAO from Softbank Robotics. The robots are programmed by the subjects using the software interface Choregraphe, which is the classical programming interface sold with the robots (i.e., no specific software was used for the programming). Let us remark that that software language is English whereas the participants were not familiar with this language. For each session, except from the 6 participants, 5 people attended (always the same during one complete program): three nurses who helped the participants focusing on the exercises and shared the discovering with them. The nurses had a quick training on using the robot before the programs started. One animator was also present in the room: either a robot specialist for the programming sessions, or a sound specialist for the nonprogramming sessions. At last, one supervisor led the program and attended all the sessions (programming and nonprogramming), dealt with the families, organized the operational part of the whole experimental program.

Program organization

Rob’Autism is organized in 20 sessions of 1 hour each, once in a week, and is concluded by a public show where external people are invited. The 20 sessions alternate 10 non-robot programming and 10 robot programming work sessions 10. Here, a framework was defined and strictly respected during the complete program: A music was played before a session starts (always the same), another at the end of the session, the positions of the tables, chairs and robots were always the same when the teenagers arrived, the working staff was unchanged for the whole program.

Robot Mediation Used to Improve Reliance

Communicating is a bilateral notion which supposes to give something (object, feeling, etc.) to someone and accept something from someone. It is the first sign of recognition as an individual by the outside world and a classical way of exchanging with others, according to one’s definition of others. It cannot be performed when the function allowing to identify the self and the other is damaged, such as in ASD. As a consequence, the capability of communicating can be a way to evaluate the ASD subjects’ evolution. During a program, communicating with others is dealt with on three different levels of liance: individual, group and social links will be worked out. We will describe in what follows each level of liance and their respective observed impact on the subjects’ behaviors [6].

Individual liance

Individual liance takes place with a person, an object (animated, such as a com- panion robot) or an animal. It consists of both giving to and receiving from. As mentioned previously, the participants work by binomials, so each can program the robot during a given time (not fixed, according to the needed time to complete the exercise) and have to let their binomial also program the robot until they have finished their exercise. The subjects here never exchange anything with the robot itself, as it is considered as a machine and not as an intentional character. During the Rob’Autism program, the interaction with the world focuses on people and not on machines, the robot is a tool allowing a protected way to tell and do things to the others [7-9]. Alternate programming of the robot is at first a difficult exercise. The reactions, not to share, are such as holding firmly the keyboard or the mouse, while screaming or protesting loudly, then become sending black and disagreeing looks. A first behavior is not to give any interest on what the binomial is programming, trying to get the attention by doing something else that needs attention from the nurse, holding the nurse from helping the binomial to complete his/her programming. Programming the robot is closely linked to catching another’s attention and focus. Letting the binomial program generates a stress that cannot be controlled by the teenager alone.
This situation can be controlled if the exercises are short enough and can be performed several times in a session: when the teenager is allowed to go back to programming quickly enough, the acceptance of individual exchange starts while the stress lowers. The experimentation shows that 10 minutes exercises (each teenager goes back three times to programming the robot during one session) is a good com- promise between long enough exercise for elaboration, focus time of the programmer and attention delay of the waiting binomial. An evolution of the behaviors between the binomials is observed.

In the Case of Three Programming Exercises Each Per Session:

a) At first, the other binomial is rejected and attention of the nurse is at- tempted to be monopolized. Observed stress reduction can be seen within the very first robotic session, when the participant is allowed to program again once the binomial has finished.
b) Curiosity to what the binomial is programming appears between the second and the fourth robotic sessions, depending on the participant. A progression was observed (same for all the participants) in showing curiosity: first is an attention to what the other has programmed by watching the robot perform only at the end of an exercise; second is to look directly what the other is programming on the computer, during the exercise; third is to interact with Insert Paper’s Title here [7] the binomial and help realizing the performance: give opinion, give advice, explain programming, help with insuring robot security, help with holding the robot in a configuration while the binomial is registering it.
c) Complete acceptance of relying on the other is observed from the third robotic session for all the subjects (no stress observed with the guaranty to program again in a short time).
d) The progression in individual liance continues over the 20 workshop of the pro- gram, we mentioned the main observation points of the changes. The binomials positioning for individual liance is side by side, the center of attention of the liance is the computer and the robot. Individual liance impacts two factors for a partic- ipant: from pleasuring the self to accepting delayed pleasure of the self; and from monopolizing one’s attention despite one other to generating an interaction with one other. In the experiment, the framework is insured: when the participants enter the room, they find the three work stations in the same configuration, the present people are always the same, the manner the exercises are explain do not change. The only changes are the content of the exercises and the working pairs (different binomial at each session). This helps constituting the group as a sort of mini society. Individual liance is the most difficult one, as it needs constant contact and attention in time, which is a demanding exercise for the ASD participants.

Group Liance

At the end of each exercise, the three binomials are asked to stop all activities to show and watch what was performed. Each demonstration is concluded by group applause. Two types of communication exercises are realized with the robot: tell / show the others about something personal, including programming abilities, or address someone in particular with a personal message. The robot is allowed any kind of message, including the use of “forbidden words” (slang and insults) 10. Here, the timing is important: whatever time is needed to conclude the exercise, the groups have to wait until the three are ready to perform all the demonstrations. Group liance takes place faster than individual liance, as the attention is more localized in time. The teenager can work his/her program in a hidden way from the others, and shows his/her demonstration during a short time to the others, still hidden as the group is watching the robot (not the programmer). This focus in time makes it easier to handle than individual liance, which takes place in a constant manner during the complete session.

The Effects of Group Liance can be Observed from the very first Robotics Session:

First exercise the participant programs the robot because and how it is asked. (then shows to others, then applause from others, then watch others’ programming, then waiting time for the binomial to do the exercise) Second exercise the participant programs the robot because he/she has curiosity on how the robot behaves [8- 11]. (then shows to others, then applause from others, then watch others’ programming, then waiting time for the binomial to do the exercise) Third exercise the participant programs the robot for the others and expects the positive reaction from the others [11- 13]. The positive reactions appear through the applause, which validates the creation of the participant. This process transforms the participant through the robot mediator from a person to an individual. He/She is identified by the group as a contributor of the mini-society built in the framework of this project. The participant discovers the pride of showing to others and to exist as a social being. During the first robotics session, the candidates try the robot. they are still shy, they do not know what will please the others. They can only get their attention using the robotic mediation. From the third robotics session, they know each other much better and start communicating with the others through the robot actions. Its sayings will mention points that interest another participant (who is in another binomial), or their robot will answer another robot which had previously talked. The positioning for group liance is each binomials facing the two other binomials, the center of attention are the respective robots. The effects of group liance address the notion of intentionality: the participants learn how to project themselves in time to please other beings in order to be pleased by their reactions. The group is never changed during the complete program. Its constitution is fixed, part of the frame. Some people may be accidentally missing, participant or accompanying person, but no new face is included in the program until the social liance.

Social Liance

Social liance is performed only once, at the end of the program: the artistic creation realized during the sessions is publicly shown. The public consists in around thirty persons: they may be known or unknown by the participants, but they all represent “the outside world”. A scene is set up for the show, on which the programmed robot will make its performance. The six participants sit directly in front of the scene, facing it. The rest of the public sits in the back of the six participants. It is the first time that the participants discover their complete show: before that event, they had seen only small parts of it while they were creating it. As a consequence, they discover their creation at the same time as the public, which generates a situation of shared experience in this new assembly. Discovering the global result of putting together known small actions leads to living an experience that is at the same time known and unknown. The separate small actions are recognized but take a complete new appearance when all put together, the story shows a new meaning. More than the meaning, the participants [9] realize at this moment the extent of their small contributions. The ascertainment of the greatness of their creation is directly linked to the pride of what they have made. The link leads to realizing how to generate something great step by step, which is equivalent to making a projection in time. Let us recall here that time projection is particularly lacking with the participants, at the beginning of Rob’Autism pro- gram. They hardly can focus more than five minutes in the first robot programming session, whereas they can focus the complete hour after four robotics session 10. As a consequence of the small concentration time they have, time projection cannot happen. At the end of the program, their mind is equipped with longer concentration times. They can start making time projections. This is done at the show restitution.

Acknowledgment from the public follows the show, with applause. This acknowledgment validates their being part of the society: they are officially recognized as contributors by unknown people who represent “the outside world”; it is equivalent to an initiatory introduction in the society (recognition by the pairs). From this moment on, they can exist as social individuals, and not only as unidentified persons.
Following the show, but questions from the public are also answered by the accompanying people of the project. During the questions, the participants stay sit and listen. They do not interfere even though there is no doubt they are present in the scene. Social liance is concluded by a drink and cakes served at a table and shared by all: public, participants and accompanying people. The participants stay voluntarily in the room and depending on the group mix with the society or stick together, reforming the group for talking and laughing.

Analysis and Complementary Results

The results observed in the Rob’Autism program are qualitative. Up to now, they are based on observation (the working sessions are monitored) and the program is adapted to the tracked group of teenagers. Four groups of six teenagers with ASD were studied, all of them reacted the same way as described in the previous section. We give precisions here to points of the program that are important for obtaining the results: Before a working session starts: The beginning of the working session are organized in a way so that all the participants enter the room together. This means a meeting space is organized outside the room, where the participants arrive one by one until the group is complete. During this meeting, where the parents do not attend (they drop their child and go), the group can be formed again, and they start communicating together. Once they have all arrived, they knock at the working session door, and the animator opens the door. The participants enter one by one in the room, greeting the animator [10] (always the same) by saying hello and shaking hands. The group meeting outside the room allows the participants to enter the room already in the group mode, so they can focus immediately on the mini society. Vocal synthesis: there is a strong temptation to play with the vocal synthesis, not in the objective to communicate with the world. Putting letters in random order and testing the sounds coming out of the robot, improving the shape of the sound until the operator is satisfied with it and ready to make it listen to the others. Here, playing with the vocal synthesis or using it to communicate (with organized sentences carrying a voluntary message) has very different effect on the participant. No progress is made with the playing. They enjoy it, it makes them work, they look for the group sharing moment, but they do not improve voluntary communication. Training of the accompanying staff: During the robotics working session, three nurses are dedicated to helping the participants to focus on the exercises, one per binomial. So three people work in each binomial. The accompanying staff was slightly trained during 12 hours before the program starts, on how to program the robot. The accompanying staff is not competent in robotics (medical staff mainly), and the training allows two situations: a) autonomy for the simplest requests: where to find the “say” box for example, how to connect the boxes, how to send the signal to the robot, and so on. In this situation the link between participants and accompanying per- son is based on pedagogy (individual sharing). b) need for help for the more advanced functions, in that case participants and accompanying person are in the same situation and have to deal with the unknown situation (group sharing). Applause the applause stabilizes the working progress of the liance, it generates satisfaction and pleasure that become an objective for the participant. Applause represents the acknowledgment of the individual’s contribution to the group / society. The contribution is Rob’Autism context is never discussed nor oriented. As an example, one of the candidate only wanted to make the robot count endless, taping 1 and making the robot say it, then taping 2 and let the robot say it, then taping 3 and let the robot say it, and so on. The participant’s contribution in this case is to make the robot count up to ten, then generate the applause. After some time, the participant accepted to use the vocal synthesis for other formulations with sentences, and communicate with different intentions than just making the robot count. The effects of Rob ’Autism program on the participant concern an appeasement of the participants’ anguish. The common observation concerned the concentration times and voluntary communication. The concentration time evolved from 5 consecutive minutes in the first robotic workshop to the complete hour after four robotic workshop. Nevertheless, the working time during one robotic workshop was limited to 45 minutes, leaving 15 minutes for playing: making the robot talk and communicating with the others through the robot. The voluntary communication starts taking place when the group is formed and identified by the participants, when they have been able to observe the others, see their contribution and showed their own contribution to them. Not using the robot to give personal impression starts in average at the seventh robotic session. Concerning the anguish, each participant has different symptoms: crises, mutilation, mutism and other isolation behaviors, screaming, absence, mirror behaviors, search for containment, and so on. Evaluation was performed with the participation of the parents of the participants, who observed a reduction in the manifestations of anguish at home or outside the home 10 [14].

Conclusion

The robot extension paradigm was addressed in this paper, in a complex experiment with ASD teenagers. The participants programmed the robot, using it as a prosthesis in communication, and were accompanied to improve stabilizing liance with the world. To do so, they first identified their self and differentiated it from the world (the not self), rebuilding their frontier to the world and redefining their identity. Three levels of liance were worked out: individual liance, dealing directly with another participant over time; group liance that allowed identifying one’s contribution to the group and acknowledging recognition of the contribution from the group; and social liance with the restitution of the robot play that was realized during the 20 workshops of the program in front of an external public, and concluded with applause. The results observed on the participants show longer concentration times, better voluntary communication and appeasement of the anguish (decreased symptoms, such as self-mutilation, mutism, screaming, absence, mirror behaviors, and so on). The next step of this study is to perform a regular evaluation of the participants to quantify their evolution.
Rob’Autism project results from a collaboration between Centrale Nantes and the non-profit organization Robots! Human, material and financial supports to this project were also provided by the following institutions and companies: RFI OIC, Faculty of speech specialists (Hospital of Nantes), Softbank Robotics, Soprabanking, Foundation Terre Plurielle, ADN’Ouest, Lion’s Club, AG2R La Mondiale, Caisse d’Epargne and EPSI.

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