Abstract: A system and a method are disclosed for automatic question classification and answering. A multipart artificial neural network (ANN) comprising a main ANN and an auxiliary ANN classifies a received question according to one of a plurality of defined categories. Unlabeled data is received from a source, such as a plurality of human volunteers. The unlabeled data comprises additional questions that might be asked of an autonomous machine such as a humanoid robot, and is used to train the auxiliary ANN in an unsupervised mode. The unsupervised training can comprise multiple auxiliary tasks that generate labeled data from the unlabeled data, thereby learning an underlying structure. Once the auxiliary ANN has trained, the weights are frozen and transferred to the main ANN. The main ANN can then be trained using labeled questions. The original question to be answered is applied to the trained main ANN, which assigns one of the defined categories.

Abstract: Processes for the recovery of a sulfopolyester polymer from an aqueous dispersion and a sulfopolyester concentrate are provided. Particularly, a sulfopolyester concentrate, from which the sulfopolyester may be recovered and reused, are formed by processes such as evaporation and/or nanofiltration. Final recovery of the sulfopolyester may be achieved by further evaporation of water and/or salt precipitation. In addition, the recovered sulfopolyester and articles manufactured from the recovered sulfopolyester are also provided.

Abstract: The invention includes a computer based system or method for automatically generating a grammar associated with a first task comprising the steps of: receiving first data representing the first task based from responses received from a distributed network; automatically tagging the first data into parts of speech to form first tagged data; identifying filler words and core words from said first tagged data; modeling sentence structure based upon said first tagged data using a first set of rules; identifying synonyms of said core words; and creating the grammar for the first task using said modeled sentence structure, first tagged data and said synonyms.

Abstract: A system and method enable an autonomous machine such as an indoor humanoid robot to systematically process user commands and respond to situations. The method captures distributed knowledge from human volunteers, referred to as “commonsense knowledge.” The commonsense knowledge comprises classes such as steps for tasks, responses to situations, and locations and uses of objects. Filtering refines the commonsense knowledge into useful class rules. A second level of rules referred to as meta-rules performs reasoning by responding to user commands or observed situations, orchestrating the class rules and generating a sequence of task steps. A task sequencer processes the generated task steps and drives the mechanical systems of the autonomous machine.

Abstract: A system and a method are disclosed that provide plans for autonomous machines such as humanoid robots to perform indoor task. Human subjects contribute plans to a knowledge database. Information in the knowledge database is pre-processed to identify task steps and characterize them as action-object pairs, from which a plan database is created. A discriminative technique uses hierarchical agglomerative clustering to select an existing plan from the plan database. A generative technique formulates new plans from the plan database using first-order Markov chains, and may take into account information about the operational environment. Experimentation and evaluation by human subjects confirm the efficacy of both techniques.

Abstract: Disclosed are multicomponent fibers derived from a blend of a sulfopolyester with a water non-dispersible polymer wherein the as-spun denier is less than about 6 and wherein the water dispersible sulfopolyester exhibits a melt viscosity of less than 12,000 poise measured at 240° C. at a strain rate of 1 rad/sec, and wherein the sulfopolyester comprising less than about 25 mole % of residues of at least one sulfomonomer, based on the total moles of diacid or diol residues. The multicomponent fiber is capable of being drawn at a relatively high fiber speed, particularly at least about 2000 m/min, and may be used to produce microdenier fibers. Fibrous articles may be produced from the multicomponent fibers and microdenier fibers. Also disclosed is a process for multicomponent fibers, nonwoven fabrics, and microdenier webs.

Abstract: A system, apparatus and application for providing robots with the ability to intelligently respond to perceived situations are described. A knowledge database is assembled automatically, based on distributed knowledge capture. The knowledge base embodies the “common sense,” that is, the consensus, of the subjects who contribute the knowledge. Systems are provided to automatically preprocess, or “clean” the information to make it more useful. The knowledge thus refined is utilized to construct a multidimensional semantic network, or MSN. The MSN provides a compact and efficient semantic representation suitable for extraction of knowledge for inference purposes and serves as the basis for task and response selection. When the robot perceives a situation that warrants a response, an appropriate subset of the MSN is extracted into a Bayes network. The resultant network is refined, and used to derive a set of response probabilities, which the robot uses to formulate a response.

Abstract: A method of representing spatial relations among objects in the environment uses a Delaunay triangulation as the data structure to store the spatial relations when the objects are represented in the form of simplified objects such as cuboids. The method receives image data corresponding to the environment and recognizes the objects in the image data, and updates the Delaunay triangulation so that the Delaunay triangulation is consistent with the recognized objects. Furthermore, a proximity query can be carried out using the Delaunay triangulation.

Abstract: A method of differentiating tissues in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) comprising applying a Magnetization Transfer (MT) pre-pulse in combination with the Diffusion Weighted Imaging (DWI) pulse sequence to obtain an image of the tissue under evaluation. Analysis maps and/or measurements are generated from the obtained image, from which values representative of the macromolecular content are computed for obtaining tissue differentiation.

Abstract: The luxA, B, C, D, and E genes from Photorhabdus luminescens have been introduced into Saccharomyces cerevisiae bioluminescent yeast cells.

Abstract: Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) utilizes multiple view feature descriptors to robustly determine location despite appearance changes that would stifle conventional systems. A SLAM algorithm generates a feature descriptor for a scene from different perspectives using kernel principal component analysis (KPCA). When the SLAM module subsequently receives a recognition image after a wide baseline change, it can refer to correspondences from the feature descriptor to continue map building and/or determine location. Appearance variations can result from, for example, a change in illumination, partial occlusion, a change in scale, a change in orientation, change in distance, warping, and the like. After an appearance variation, a structure-from-motion module uses feature descriptors to reorient itself and continue map building using an extended Kalman Filter.

Abstract: Systems and methods are presented that enable logical reasoning even in the Presence of noisy (inconsistent) data. The knowledge base is processed in order to make it consistent and is also compiled. This processing includes checking and correcting spelling, removing stopwords, performing, grouping words of similar and related meaning, and compacting the knowledge base. A robot can use the processed knowledge base to perform many different types of tasks, such as answering a query, determining a course of action that is designed to achieve a particular goal, and determining its own location.

Abstract: The luxA and luxB genes from P. luminescens which encode for the luciferase protein of the bacterial luciferase system were modified to generate codon-optimized versions that are optimized for expression in mammalian cells. The codon-optimized bacterial luciferase enzyme system genes of the invention can be used to develop a mammalian bioluminescence bioreporter useful in various medical research and diagnostics applications.

Abstract: A method of representing spatial relations among objects in the environment uses a Delaunay triangulation as the data structure to store the spatial relations when the objects are represented in the form of simplified objects such as cuboids. The method receives image data corresponding to the environment and recognizes the objects in the image data, and updates the Delaunay triangulation so that the Delaunay triangulation is consistent with the recognized objects. Furthermore, a proximity query can be carried out using the Delaunay triangulation.