Abstract: A method and apparatus are used for the cultivation of subaquatic vegetation. The apparatus and method seek to mimic the actual ecosystem of subaquatic vegetation that is being grown. Because the vegetation that is grown is raised in natural conditions, it will have a better chance for survival upon ultimate transplantation in a river, bay or other natural ecosystem.

Abstract: A zero insertion force electrical connector (60) having a housing (61) which includes a support block (62) reciprocably mounted therein. The housing (61) also includes a contact array (65) with a plurality of contact elements (66,67) extending therefrom for electrical engagement with circuit traces (63a,64a) on printed circuit boards (63,64). The contact array (65) includes a flexible etched circuit (76) thereon for signal transmission and impedance matching; and the contact elements (66,67) include arcuate sections (66a,66b,67a,67b) for ensuring compliancy, conformity, and contact wiping action at the electrical contact interfaces.

Abstract: A controller for directing the actions of an autonomous device in response to the existence or actions of objects in the physical world comprises program means for fusing physical world data and inferred property confidence factors into a plurality of representational instances, at least one representational instance having an inferred behavior interface property for soliciting a response of the autonomous device, program means stored in a random access memory for implementing a plurality of independent behavior instances for carrying out response tasks, program means stored in the random access memory for implementing a mission control task by generating a task list of behavior instances to be performed and program means stored in the random access memory for implementing an execution engine for executing the behavior instance at the head of the task list.