Bruno Martins

MINHO Robot Football Team for 2001

This paper describes an autonomous robot football team. The work is being carried out since 1998. It describes the hardware used by the robots, the sensory system and interfaces, as well as the game strategy. Data acquisition for the perception level is carried out by the vision system, and the image processing system is described. Two cameras are used requiring sensorial fusion. With this architecture, an attempted is made to make the autonomous robots more real world intelligent. These robots have a kicker with controlled power, which allows passing the ball to a teammate with controlled distance and direction.

The external dimension of the European Union's counter-terrorism: an introduction to empirical and theoretical developments

Abstract Having recently completed its first decade of existence, the EUs counter-terrorism policy has been receiving increasing scholarly attention as reflected in the specialized literature devoted to this emerging policy area. Its external dimension, nevertheless, has not been the subject of thorough and systematic analyses which scrutinize its characteristic features and principal actors, policies and interests. Against this backdrop, the introductory article of this Special Issue aims at providing a contextualised assessment of the external dimension of EU counter-terrorism while discussing the impact of the Lisbon Treaty upon this policy field. It proceeds with an examination of the policies, interests and actorness dynamics associated with the EUs counter-terrorism policy in highlighting the major findings and conclusions conveyed by the five contributions to this Special Issue. Its conclusion points to possible avenues for future research on the basis of identified underdeveloped topics, under-theorised aspects and neglected issues in the existing literature.

The European Union's fight against terrorism : the CFSP and beyond

1. Introduction: The external dimension of the European Unions counter-terrorism: an introduction to empirical and theoretical developments 2. The social construction of an EU interest in counter-terrorism: US influence and internal struggles in the cases of PNR and SWIFT 3. Counterterrorism cooperation in the transatlantic security community 4. The external dimension of EU counter-terrorism: the challenges of the European Parliament in front of the European Court of Justice 5. Stepping inside? CSDP missions and EU counter-terrorism 6. The EU as a global counter-terrorism actor in the making 7. Conclusion: assessing the external dimension of EU counter-terrorism ten years on 8. Epilogue - The Union, the World and Counter-Terrorism: How to Normalize the Extreme?

The EU, the Mirror and ‘the Others’

Extending competences and spreading the range of action has been challenging the peaceful course of EU integration in the last two decades. The Maastricht Treaty created a new institutional backbone for a face-lifted integration project, aiming at providing the instruments for the EU to play a role in a new international post-Cold War environment. Yet, the public debate and the results of the 1992 referenda in Denmark (rejection) and in France (approval with a very slight margin) ended the ‘permissive consensus’ period that had characterised the relationship of the population with its governors concerning the EC/EU, and initiated a new phase in the

Effectively countering terrorism: the challenges of prevention, preparedness and response

Gottfried Niedhart contains great number of facts and new information. However, the structure of the chapter is not clear and author changes focus of the text too quickly. Very opposite in style is the second chapter by Bernd Schaefer. Clearly structured and well-written text is effectively complemented by next chapters focused on the economic aspects of the Ostpolitik (by Werner D. Lippert) and the domestic discussions in the Western Germany political environment (Ronald J. Granieri). The first part of the volume offers insight into the development and process of Ostpolitik and shows courage and political skills of Willy Brandt and his team. The book The strained alliance is full of excellent studies on transatlantic relations and international politics; however, I would like to highlight two of them. The first is named The Politics of Planes and Engines: Anglo-American Relations during the Rolls-Royce Lockheed Crisis, 197