Real Autonomy Research Articles

Review on VSLAM based on deep learning

Abstract. Visual simultaneous localization and mapping technology (VSLAM) provides a theoretical basis for the operation of unmanned equipment such as autonomous vehicles and sweeping robots in unfamiliar environments. Although traditional VSLAM systems have achieved great success after long-term development, it is still difficult to maintain good performance in challenging environments. Deep learning, as a newly developed technology in the field of vision in recent years, has shown outstanding advantages in image processing. Combining deep learning with VSLAM is a hot topic. Deep learning can help traditional VSLAM systems improve the lack of scale information in dynamic environments by improving the performance of traditional VSLAM in depth estimation, pose estimation, and closed loop detection. It can not only reduce the scale of the network model but also improve the accuracy of trajectory estimation. Specifically, in terms of the fusion of VSLAM method flow and deep learning, many researchers have proposed deep learning fusion methods based on visual odometry, loop detection and mapping. This work studies the trend and combination of VSLAM with deep learning algorithms, hoping to provide help for the real autonomy of future mobile robots, and finally puts forward prospects for the development of VSLAM.

Regulatory and legal regulation of the process of formation of administrative authorities and management in Subcarpathian Rus (Transcarpathia) in 1919–1926

It is indicated that the proper functioning of local executive power, the creation of an optimal system of local executive power bodies should ensure effective influence on the development of each region, especially the cross-border region. It is generally accepted that local bodies of executive power implement the functions of the state, which are close to the population. In Ukraine, a new people-centered model of activity of public administration subjects is being formed. The article examines the process of formation of administrative authorities and management in Subcarpathian Rus (Transcarpathia) during the first half of the 20s of the 20th century. It was established that the process of forming the structure of state administration in Subcarpathia began already at the beginning of 1919, and in the summer of the same year, several projects of the organization of government in the region were already developed in Prague. On the basis of the General Statute, the model of relations within the local government between the Directory, the administrator and the military leadership during 1919-1920 was analyzed. The formation of abstract departments at the Civil Administration, which was headed by an administrator, is briefly described. The importance of the changes introduced by the government decree No. 356/1920 «On amending the General Statute of Subcarpathian Rus» was revealed, according to which the functions and powers were radically redistributed in favor of the bodies that represented the central government in the region. The theory of the creation of two branches of administrative management in relation to the competence of the Civil Administration of Subcarpathian Rus is presented: autonomous institutions and institutions of the state. The description of the gubernatorial council as an advisory body under the governor is provided. It was noted that the new General Statute, in terms of the norms governing the activities of the vice-governor and the gubernatorial council, went beyond the Constitution of the Czechoslovak Republic. It is proved that the administrative reorganization in Czechoslovakia in 1925 and especially in 1927 only distanced Subcarpathian Rus from real autonomy, since the process of further centralization and unification of power and administration took place throughout the territory of the republic. Appropriate conclusions have been drawn regarding the retention and gradual incorporation (integration) of the region into the all-Czechoslovak legal system.

ARM4CH: A Methodology for Autonomous Reality Modelling for Cultural Heritage.

Nowadays, the use of advanced sensors, such as terrestrial, mobile 3D scanners and photogrammetric imaging, has become the prevalent practice for 3D Reality Modeling (RM) and the digitization of large-scale monuments of Cultural Heritage (CH). In practice, this process is heavily related to the expertise of the surveying team handling the laborious planning and time-consuming execution of the 3D scanning process tailored to each site's specific requirements and constraints. To minimize human intervention, this paper proposes a novel methodology for autonomous 3D Reality Modeling of CH monuments by employing autonomous robotic agents equipped with the appropriate sensors. These autonomous robotic agents are able to carry out the 3D RM process in a systematic, repeatable, and accurate approach. The outcomes of this automated process may also find applications in digital twin platforms, facilitating secure monitoring and the management of cultural heritage sites and spaces, in both indoor and outdoor environments. The main purpose of this paper is the initial release of an Industry 4.0-based methodology for reality modeling and the survey of cultural spaces in the scientific community, which will be evaluated in real-life scenarios in future research.

Searching for Ways of Settling Land Conflicts by Peaceful Means in Cameroon: A Critical Analysis of the Peacemaking Role of the ‘Land Consultative Board’

The regulation of Land tenure systems is one of the main sources of conflicts in Africa and one of the continent’s most difficult realities to pin down. In its 1974 land reform, the Cameroonian legislature sought to strike a balance between traditional norms and modern instruments, between administrative, judicial and customary authorities, in order to establish an inclusive, democratic and peaceful system of land tenure. The establishment of the Land Consultative Board as the regulatory instrument the state planned to use in land matters was projected as the answer to this quest. While the original intention remains laudable - to enable the state, guarantor of the general interest to acquire a local instrument with the appropriate legitimacy and capable of ensuring the peaceful regulation of land tenure. It has to be said that, almost 50 years later, this ambition has not been achieved. The recurrence of land conflicts and the density of disputes reflect the inadequacy of the rules governing land tenure in Cameroon, depriving the board of any real regulatory authority. The central argument of this paper is that the legislator's ambition was not sincere because of the precedence of the administrative authority to the detriment of other actors. The choice of evaluating this working assumption through the theory of the instrumentation of public action is therefore essential. It makes it possible not only to determine the legislator's intention through textual and contextual analysis, but also to observe the interplay of actors around this regulatory instrument through an interdisciplinary approach. Between its structural inability to acquire real autonomy and the barely concealed desire to downgrade custom, its role has steadily diminished along with its influence, though without disappearing. It remains, however, the institutional relic where the philosophy of the “palaver tree,” supported by the practice of non-violence and democratic dialogue, can still survive, as well as the keystone of the entire land tenure system of the country. The analysis of the consultative Board’s peacemaking role through its instrumentation (or its instrumentalisation) opens up new perspectives for understanding the regulation of public action in our so-called Southern countries, especially for decision-makers, donors and any actor interested in the thorny issue of land tenure insecurity.

NON-WORKING TIME OF THE PRINCIPAL OF THE KYIV SCHOOL UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF MARTIAL LAW

The article was written based on the results of a study that was conducted in January-February 2024 among the directors of two capital districts – Solomyanskyi and Desnyanskyi. The goal was to find out the level of resource status of the head of the school in his free time from work in the conditions of martial law. Does he have the opportunity to maintain a balance between workload and rest so that there is enough resource for work? Does the director deal with burnout prevention? These questions are the subject of research. The priority for the head of a capital school under martial law is work, his professional activity. At the same time, he is faced with significant, first of all, psychological burdens, but does not pay enough attention to those measures aimed at restoring the personality and its energy potential. Two-thirds of respondents feel that they have a low level of energy for life after the working day, and almost 15% of them record a state of exhaustion. A third of the respondents have signs of burnout. The answers of the respondents indicate that the problem of resource recovery and accumulation is perceived by school leaders as a necessary solution. During the period of martial law, it is more important for the head of the school to take care of his mental health, prevention of burnout, acquisition of vitality, and resource conservation than during a normal period of peace. From the managerial point of view, there is a need to return to the normalization of working hours for educators, redistribution of powers within the school team, based on real autonomy (primarily organizational) recorded in domestic legislation.

Architectural form: the space of experience and technological innovations in construction

The research work aims at revealing the purely immanent foundations of the systemic knowledge of architectural form, which initially always has an instrumentalist character. In the context of current transformations in the field of science in general and the attitude of society to it, the differentiation of theoretical fundamental layer of knowledge and applied knowledge has become extremely complicated. At the same time, the very need to clarify the root foundations of architecture not only persists as a criterion and sign of academic identity, but also sounds quite certain in relation to the search for possible scenarios of future development of this branch of human activity, production, social exchange, information flows, and reorganization of the living environment. This search is connected most directly to the reflections on the processes of architectural form generation. The issue of architecture’s future is the problem of finding a new architectural form. A group of factors, including the use and experimentation with new building materials and technologies, is not excluded from this search, but does not exhaust the strategy of form generation. The proposed exposition of architectural form in the context of modern technological innovations relies mostly on a historical cross-section of the architectural component of human culture. In other words, it is a study into the foundations of the methodology of the science of architecture including three basic points: 1) the science of architecture is its understanding as an autonomous reality; 2) this understanding may only be achieved by revealing the immanent logic of historical development; 3) architecture in its sovereignty as an existential "region" or a phenomenon of human civilization is expressed essentially in the form, the structural analytics of which crystallizes the universal logical and semantic dimension of the evolution of architectural reality.

Screening for psychosocial risks among physicians in a pediatric hospital

Over the past decades, productivity practices at hospital resulted in staff overload and burnout. Prompted by physicians’ complaints, this study assessed the level of psychosocial risk among senior pediatricians in a university hospital.The survey used the checklist of Quebec's National Institute of Public Health that comprises two six-indicator parts: “Context” and “Key Components” of the Organization.The psychosocial risk level was evaluated by a physician–psychologist duo during interviews of homogeneous groups of workers. The indicators were scored, tabulated, and discussed.The survey led to a substantial qualitative and quantitative clarification of physicians’ working conditions, claims, and needs. Regarding Context, the staff reported mainly: (a) cumbersome organization and norms vs. limited human resources (lack of stability, incentives, and promotions); (b) absenteeism and presenteeism; (c) reluctance to seek care or advice for fear of discredit; (d) presence of verbal violence; (e) self-imposed harsh returns-to-work; (f) work–life conflicts and difficult mental disconnection from work. Regarding the Key Components, the staff reported mainly: (a) work overload (physical, mental, psychological, and relational/social), continuous stress, and perceived exhaustion; (b) low job satisfaction and insufficient recognition; (c) inconstant support by their superiors; (d) poor job relationships and colleagues’ support; (e) occasional participation and lack of real autonomy and/or strategy sharing.The survey succeeded in underlining concerning issues that required the immediate attention of occupational physicians and managers. It proved the method feasible and valuable in the medical context despite a high diversity of staff functions and degrees.

An ideal relationship between central and regional authorities in Indonesia: The 1945 constitution perspective

Indonesian central and regional government relationship often changes along with domestic political development and people’s needs. Law no. 1/1945 contained the concept of Indonesia’s autonomy with people’s sovereignty, and Law no. 22 of 1948 contained the concept of ‘the broadest economy.’ During the 1950 Provisional Constitution era, Law no. 1/1957 and Law no. 6/159 contained the concept of real and broadest autonomy. During the 1945 Constitution in New Order Era, presidential decree No. 6 of 1959 stipulated the real and broadest autonomy, in addition to Law no. 18/ 1965 with a similar concept and deconcentration principle, Law no. 5 /1974 on real and responsible autonomy, stipulating that decentralization is equally important to deconcentration, Law no. No. 22 of 1999 stipulated the real and broadest autonomy, in addition to Law no. 32/2004 on the amendment of real autonomy. Law no. 23 of 2014 tends to adhere to the deconcentration principle. This normative legal study employed secondary data sources, including the 1945 Constitution, Law no. 22/1999 on local government, Law no. 32/2004 on local government, Law no. 23/2014 on local government, Law no. 9/2015 on the second amendment of Law no. 23/2014 on local government, and relevant books, articles, and papers.

The form of regional autonomy implemented by the governor of Gorontalo province

Regional autonomy is an opportunity for regions to actualize and optimize the potential that exists in the regions. With all the existing authority in the regions that have been regulated in the applicable regulations, the regions must be able to carry out and carry out these authorities optimally with all the shortcomings and advantages possessed by each region. The purpose of this study is to describe the form of implementation of regional autonomy with a case study on the Gorontalo Provincial government. The type of research used is a qualitative approach with the type of Ethnographic research. The study was conducted in June-September 2022. This research was conducted in the DPRD of Gorontalo province. Data This research is supported by data derived from primary data through observation and in-depth interviews. The steps to analyze the data that have been obtained that have been conceptualized by informants are carried out by ethnography, the first is to transcribe the data obtained from in-depth interviews and focus group discussions (FGD) stored in recorded interviews and field notes. Step Two, read the entirety of the data. The results of the study obtained that the form of implementation of regional autonomy by the Governor of Gorontalo was based on the principle of real autonomy, the principle of responsibility, and the principle of regional autonomy as widely as possible. In addition, there are also dynamic principles, unity principles, dissemination principles, harmony principles, democratic principles, and empowerment principles. First, the principle of real autonomy. Gorontalo Province with the breadth of region and diversity in its people, ranging from the diversity of tribes, religions, cultures, and traditional values.

Иван Гончаров и Лев Толстой: человечность в русской классике как философская проблема

The article develops an approach to the philosophical interpretation of the works of Ivan Goncharov and Leo Tolstoy. The analysis of a literary text is un­dertaken as an effort to understand humanity, as a reflection in the context of philosophical anthropology: what is humanity? Is it possible to preserve it? The tragic experience of the 20th century has set many thinkers and writers against the myths about humanity, which Goncharov and Tolstoy were accused of creating, and put almost any discussion about it on the verge of posturing and cynicism. However, the very ability of a person to question the humanity and seek it, the ability to protest against his demythologized reality, suggests that a person is not equal to his circumstances, that his reality is not ex­hausted by empiricism. With a myth, he expresses and defends his humanity. The works of Goncharov and Tolstoy are interpreted in the article as myth-making, protecting humanity. Special attention is paid to mythological fantasy and the problem of the reality of myth-making, it is proved that the myth is not a fiction, but an autonomous reality. Humanity is understood as the meeting of everyday life and myth in this sense of the word, the living of an empirical life in association with the mythological reality of Goncharov and Tolstoy. Thus, the appeal to the myth-making of Russian classics becomes an aid to such philosophical anthropology and such humanism that would not ignore the tragedies of the century as something already past, but would not refuse to talk about humanity (hoping to preserve it only in mournful silence). The re­ality of the myth of humanity is created in spite of the inhuman reality: in this creativity and thanks to it, a person finds himself.

ГЕОПОЛИТИЗАЦИЯ ЕВРОСОЮЗА В СВЕТЕ ПЕРЕРАСПРЕДЕЛЕНИЯ БРЕМЕНИ БЕЗОПАСНОСТИ В ЕВРО-АТЛАНТИКЕ

The first part of the research is dedicated to the relationship between the US and its European allies in the context of “dual decoupling” and “dual containment”. The author explores the redistribution of costs and burdens in the framework of confrontation with Russia and the growing rivalry with China. It is demonstrated that the post-2020 US – EU reset turned out to be declarative to a significant extent and unfavorable for the EU’s chances of real autonomy in the international arena. The second part of the article is focused on the EU geopolitization caused by the escalation in the competition among major powers and the multiple problems in its own development. This process revolves around the revival of the principle of “hard power” in the EU policy, its attempts to acquire subjectivity in the world affairs with reliance on coercive power, manoeuvring, adaptation to the conditions of polycentricity. Geopolitization of the EU leads to a radical review of the long-established notions including interdependence. The conclusion is drawn that the policies of dual decoupling, dual containment and the consequences of the Ukrainian crisis result in negative dynamics in the cost-benefit analysis of Russia’s rivals.

The mediating effect of psychosocial factors in the relationship between self-organizing teams and employee wellbeing: A cross-sectional observational study

BackgroundSeveral benefits of working in a self-organizing team, such as higher job satisfaction and better engagement to work have been demonstrated in previous studies. ObjectiveTo examine whether those employees working in a self-organizing team have higher job satisfaction and lower turnover intentions compared to those in non-self-organized teams. Further, to test whether psychosocial factors defined by the Job Demand-Control model would function as mediators. DesignA cross-sectional survey study. Setting(s)Home care and assisted living facilities (with 24-h assistance). ParticipantsLicensed practical nurses (N = 377), registered nurses, therapists and managers (N = 183), and other employees (N = 31) in services for older people. MethodsA survey for employees working in services for older people and who were either in the self-organized teams or in the non-self-organized teams. Data was analyzed using linear regression and mediation analyses. ResultsThose employees who worked in a self-organizing team were more satisfied with their job and had lower turnover intentions compared to those in a non-self-organizing team (mean [SD] 3.9 [1.0] vs. 3.7 [1.0], p = 0.006 and 2.2 [1.2] vs. 2.5 [1.3], p = 0.006, respectively). Moreover, job demands and job strain partially mediated the effect of self-organizing teamwork on job satisfaction (Average causal mediation effect [95%CI] 0.09 [0.02–0.15] and 0.10 [0.03–0.18], respectively), as well as on turnover intentions (Average causal mediation effect [95%CI] −0.08 [−0.15 to −0.01] and −0.20 [−0.18 to −0.03], respectively). ConclusionsIn the context of older people care services, working in self-organizing teams may enhance employee wellbeing by lowering job demands and job strain, but not by improving job control. Based on the findings of this study, self-organization seems beneficial, however, it requires real autonomy for the teams and team building. Tweetable abstractSelf-organizing teamwork increases job satisfaction and decreases turnover intentions via lower job demands and strain in older people care.

Empowerment in the Management of Business Units

This study examines the mediating role of performance appraisal quality on the association between lower level manager's employee empowerment and their performance, which is assessed in respect to the performance of the business unit that they are held responsible for. Specifically, we address the conjecture concerning whether real autonomy is provided by focusing on the extent to which empowerment extends to another aspect of employees' organisational experience, i.e. their performance appraisal system, and also examine the subsequent impact that the level of employee empowerment has on lower level managers' performance. Covariance Based Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used to examine the relationship between employee empowerment, the quality of the performance appraisal systems, and business unit performance. The results reveal that employee empowerment exhibits a direct influence on non-financial performance and an indirect influence on financial performance through trust. In addition, trust is found to be significantly positively associated with both financial and non-financial performance. The findings provide managers with an insight into the important role of employee empowered in enhancing business unit performances, and the effectiveness of the performance appraisal system.

Response to Hannah Archambault and Luke Pretz, Aaron Benanav, and Ted Burczak

In responding to Fikret Adaman and Pat Devine’s essay “Revisiting the Calculation Debate: A Call for a Multiscale Approach,” Hannah Archambault and Luke Pretz, Aaron Benanav, and Ted Burczak at points reinforce the text’s positions, reinterpret arguments from different angles, complement arguments, and raise their own concerns. With gratitude, the authors here provide their own reflections on these responses, advocating for politically determined economic priorities, with negotiated-coordination bodies deciding the investments to realize those priorities and with market exchange at the enterprise level. This corresponds to a self-governing society in which the self-realization of individuals can be fully achieved and in which people have real autonomy to participate directly or indirectly in all levels of decision making that affect them.

Artificial intelligence: legal status or legal regime?

In Russia, like elsewhere in the world, artificial intelligence, robots and robotic technologies have been introduced into various fields of economy, and state and public life. The variety of spheres of application in which artificial intelligence in different forms is currently used and will be used in future, have implications for the legal system and require adequate legal developments that would take into account the features of these fundamentally novel and previously unknown technologies. The solution of this complex task, in its turn, involves theoretical understanding of multiple conceptual issues that can affect the success or failures of legal regulations in the area of public relations under consideration. The article considers Asimov’s laws of robotics and ethical norms that have been proposed for artificial intelligence in the Concept of development of regulation of relations in the sphere of artificial intelligence and robotics technologies for the period till 2024. The authors discuss the subject of criminal law assessment of robots’ behavior, and propose the understanding and definitions of notions like “ethics” and “lawfulness” of robots’ behavior, “ethical violations”, “offences”, “guilt” and “responsibility” of robots. The authors also analyze anthropomorphism as one of the strategies of social robotics, its pros and cons. The authors conclude that legislation should use as a starting point the functions of artificial intelligence and it should be uniform towards all emerging forms. At present stage of development, it is necessary to have a legal regime established for robots (artificial intelligence), while the legal status for them is the matter of future, when they will acquire real autonomy and will be able to carry out their own free choice of behavior.

Субъективное благополучие выпускников организаций для детей-сирот в различных условиях проживания

The article is devoted to the outcomes of the first Russian study of subjective well-being in graduates of orphan organizations living in various settings: orphan institutions, specialized housing facilities, dormitories of vocational education organizations, as well as in rented or assigned housing. It is shown that the level of subjective well-being depends on the possibility of preserving the stereotypes of living arrangements and relationships formed in the orphanage: the lower the level of requirements for independence, and the real autonomy of housing, the higher the proportion of graduates with a high level of subjective well-being. It is proved that the graduates’ attitude to self is related to living conditions. Those graduates who live with constant pedagogical support are more satisfied with themselves as compared to other groups, cope better with difficulties and overcome stressful situations more effectively. Low resilience and high victimization are characteristic of those who return to assigned housing. Living in state housing is what promotes growing up the most, and so does renting a house on one’s own.

Концепция души в поэзии символизма (К. Д. Бальмонт, Ф. К. Сологуб, А. И. Токаев и Д. А. Гатуев)

The aim of the research is to define the specific characteristics of interpretation of the soul image in K. D. Balmont’s, F. K. Sologub’s, A. I. Tokaev’s, D. A. Gatuev’s poetic picture of the world. The scientific originality of the research consists in exploring Russian and Ossetian lyric poetry of symbolism, analyzing the parameters of influence of the former on the latter. As a result, the study has revealed the peculiarities of representing the concept “soul” as unique substance, which possesses personal characteristics, feelings, which is capable of suffering and worrying, but at the same time, as the Superhuman, has the ability to create an autonomous reality, to live on the border of ordinary and transcendent.

Land tax in the largest cities of the Far Eastern federal district: comparative analysis

The article contains a comparative analysis of land taxation in the largest cities of the Russian Far East and includes: assessment of land resources by categories and types of ownership, differentiation of land tax rates by types of permitted use and cadastral value by segments of local land markets. A specific feature of the Far East cities is a high share of forests, determining a relatively low share of private property in the structure of urban lands. The real fiscal autonomy of a local self-government bodies in Russian Federation in the field of land and property policy was proved in this work.

Academic council activity as the basis for university autonomy: historical aspect

The article describes functions and authorities of academic councils of Ukrainian universities as the basis of their autonomy in historical aspect. The purpose of the paper is to study academic council activity evolution in Ukrainian Universities of the XIX-th century through singling out and characterization its stages from the modern standpoint to strengthen university autonomy, develop the quality of university management and prevent mistakes and shortcomings of the previous period. The applied methods were: general scientific methods (analysis, synthesis, comparison, systematization, and generalization) and methods of historical research (chronological, logical-historical, historical-typological, and retrospective). The most important findings have become distinguishing and characterizing four stages of activity of academic councils in Ukrainian universities within the studied period: I stage (1804 - 1835), II stage (1835 - 1863), III stage (1863 - 1884), IV stage (1884 - 1906). Characterization of the stages of academic council functions and authority development from the modern position has demonstrated that in order to develop the quality of university management as well as educational service quality universities need real university autonomy, which should be strong enough to prevent mistakes and shortcomings of the previous periods.

Will Artificial Intelligence Outperform the Clinical Neurologist in the Near Future? No.

Will Artificial Intelligence Outperform the Clinical Neurologist in the Near Future? No.