We report two experimental studies of human perceptions of robotic facial expressions while systematically varying context effects and the cultural background of subjects (n = 93). Except for Fear, East Asian and Western subjects were not significantly different in recognition rates, and, while Westerners were better at judging affect from mouth movement alone, East Asians were not any better at judging affect based on eye/brow movement alone. Moreover, context effects appeared capable of over-riding such cultural differences, most notably for Fear. The results seem to run counter to previous theories of cultural differences in facial expression based on emoticons and eye fixation patterns. We connect this to broader research in cognitive science – suggesting the findings support a dynamical systems view of social cognition as an emergent phenomenon. The results here suggest that, if we can induce appropriate context effects, it may be possible to create culture-neutral models of robots and affective interaction.

Real-time object detection is crucial for many applications of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) such as reconnaissance and surveillance, search-and-rescue, and infrastructure inspection. In the last few years, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) have emerged as a powerful class of models for recognizing image content, and are widely considered in the computer vision community to be the de facto standard approach for most problems. However, object detection based on CNNs is extremely computationally demanding, typically requiring high-end Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) that require too much power and weight, especially for a lightweight and low-cost drone. In this paper, we propose moving the computation to an off-board computing cloud. We apply Regions with CNNs (R-CNNs), a state-of-the-art algorithm, to detect not one or two but hundreds of object types in near real-time.

Group decisions arise in various settings, from mundane everyday tasks such as picking a movie to watch at home, to more involved processes such as that of a hiring committee, and require the interplay among group members, which often leads to compromises. Recommender systems, although primarily designed to cater for individuals, have been extended to support group decision making. However, they are hampered by the lack of models that describe the dynamics in group decisions. In this paper, we present ideas about how to extract more appropriate models for explaining and predicting group decisions, by observing decision outcomes.

The paper presents a theoretical, analytical, and ethical examination of B&H political economy, Constitutional "protection of vital national interests," and its effects on human security socioeconomic conditions. The phenomenon of vital national interest and a theoretical and practical question focused on a constitutionally conditioned political point of view, not on economic, human security, legislative, peace & conflict dynamics, and normative framework. The paper argues that structurally manipulative and nepotistic ethnopolitical processes and the idiom "protection of vital national interests" demonstrate the institutionalization of post-war ethnoreligious conflict. It reduces the rule of law framework, the country's integrity, sociopolitical, economic, and critical human security progression. The ethnoreligious conflict of "vital national interest" undermines the country's economic system. The narrative of protecting "vital national interests" is the ethnopolitical elites' manipulative instrumentalization and interest that has risen above the state and used for personal objectives. In a "constitutively" manner, the ethnopolitical arrangement is reduced to a struggle over territory. It directly territorializes and divides B&H into ethnoreligious areas. Contemporary Machiavellians use intrigue and manipulation to gain or retain power. It has a character of more deceptive than violent behavior. The Balkan-B&H demonstrates Maciavelism more profoundly than Machiavelli's authentic perspective. constructive public administration. fundamental life how The paper presents a theoretical, analytical, and ethical examination of B&H (ethno)political economy, Constitutional "protection of vital national interests," and its effects on human security socioeconomic conditions. The position of political/economic nepotism, systemic corruption, and patronage on political economy in Western Balkans with a significant emphasis on Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) and citizens' socioeconomics and human security are not in-depth researched. The phenomenon of vital national interest and a theoretical and practical question focused on a constitutionally conditioned political point of view, not on economic, human security, legislative, peace & conflict dynamics, and normative framework. The paper investigates the Constitutional framework (B&H and Entities) of ethnopolitical/ethnoreligious conflict of national interests, the rule of law, and its references to actual sociopolitics and economics. This paper argues that structurally manipulative and nepotistic ethnopolitical/ethnoreligious processes and the idiom "protection of vital national interests" demonstrate the institutionalization of post-war ethnoreligious conflict. It reduces the rule of law framework, the country's integrity, sociopolitical, economic, and critical human security progression. Moreover, examining these sociopolitical processes in the post-socialist Yugoslav countries aims to determine normative solutions - the example of B&H.