Bibianna Bałaj

Cognitive robots in the development and rehabilitation of children with developmental disorders

Abstract Cognitive robots constitute a highly interdisciplinary approach to the issue of therapy of children with developmental disorders. Cognitive robots become more popular, especially in action and language integration areas, joining the experience of psychologists, neuroscientists, philosophers, and even engineers. The concept of a robot as a cognitive companion for humans may be very useful. The interaction between humans and cognitive robots may be a mediator of movement patterns, learning behaviors from demonstrations, group activities, and social behaviors, as far as higher-order concepts such as symbol manipulation capabilities, words acquisition, and sensorimotor knowledge organization. Moreover there is an occupation to check many theories, such as transferring the knowledge and skills between humans and robots. Although several robotic solutions for children have been proposed the diffusion of aforementioned ideas is still limited. The review summarizes the current and future role of cognitive robots in the development and rehabilitation of children with developmental disorders.

Intelligent emotions stabilization system using standardized images, breath sensor and biofeedback - new concept

This paper addresses the problem of designing closed-loop control of emotion based on affective measures and computing. The work is focused on design rule base control system that serves for positive emotion state stabilization. The proposed approach is based on analyzing of breathing signal. The measured signal is analyzed according to features important for emotional changes. Knowing emotional state of person and desired level of affect should allow to modify it through knowledge base engine. Closed-loop control system is a fuzzy rule base that is designed on fuzzy model of breathing time series and data base of affective images. Proposed system may constitute basis for the whole family of new tools. All results are illustrated with examples.

Selective Attention and Working Memory Under Spatial Disorientation in a Flight Simulator

ABSTRACT Objective: The aim of this study was to test the effects of visual and vestibular spatial disorientation on the cognitive performance of military aviators while they were piloting a flight simulator. Background: Spatial disorientation (SD), the inability to correctly determine the position and orientation of the aircraft in relation to the ground, poses a serious threat in aviation and can impair the cognitive performance of pilots while flying. More evidence is needed on the effects of visual and vestibular SD on cognition in flight simulators. Method: Pilots performed an auditory selective attention (duration discrimination) task (Experiment 1, N = 16) or an auditory working memory (N-back) task (Experiment 2, N = 16) while completing 6 different flight profiles in the disorientation and control conditions in the GYRO-IPT flight simulator. The flight scenarios included 3 visual illusions (false horizon, shape constancy, size constancy) and 3 vestibular illusions (somatogyral illusion, Coriolis effect, the leans). Results: In both experiments the cognitive performance (task accuracy) decreased for flight profiles with the leans illusion. Also, the flight performance (measured as the number of control reversal errors) was worse for the false horizon illusion and for the somatogyral illusion in both experiments. Conclusion: The results suggest that SD, particularly the vestibular illusion of the leans, can impair selective attention and working memory processes.

GCAF: narzędzie do tworzenia interaktywnych eksperymentów wykorzystujących okulograf i jego użycie w badaniach nabywania mowy przez niemowlęta

GCAF: the environment for designing fully interactive experiments involving eye tracking devices and its use for studying of speech acquisition by infants The aim of this paper is to present our computer software, the GCAF framework, which allow one to design and run applications using the eye trackers, among others the cognitive experiments for infants. In comparison to other tools for creating the experiments, the full interaction with user is possible. User can choose the object on screen activated by its gaze, which is most interesting for him, and therefore control the program activity. This framework and the domain language GIML were already used for designing of several experiments involving infants in Neurocognitive Laboratory located at the Interdisciplinary Centre for Modern Technologies in Nicolaus Copernicus University. One of its main objectives is to investigate the loss of the ability to differentiate speech sounds in native language before the end of the first year of life. In this project, we intend to design and verify the effectiveness of the interactive training, the aim of which is to influence this phenomenon.