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Books > Professional & Technical > Other technologies
Sound, devoid of meaning, would not matter to us. It is the information sound conveys that helps the brain to understand its environment. Sound and its underlying meaning are always associated with time and space. There is no sound without spatial properties, and the brain always organizes this information within a temporal-spatial framework. This book is devoted to understanding the importance of meaning for spatial and related further aspects of hearing, including cross-modal inference. People, when exposed to acoustic stimuli, do not react directly to what they hear but rather to what they hear means to them. This semiotic maxim may not always apply, for instance, when the reactions are reflexive. But, where it does apply, it poses a major challenge to the builders of models of the auditory system. Take, for example, an auditory model that is meant to be implemented on a robotic agent for autonomous search-&-rescue actions. Or think of a system that can perform judgments on the sound quality of multimedia-reproduction systems. It becomes immediately clear that such a system needs * Cognitive capabilities, including substantial inherent knowledge * The ability to integrate information across different sensory modalities To realize these functions, the auditory system provides a pair of sensory organs, the two ears, and the means to perform adequate preprocessing of the signals provided by the ears. This is realized in the subcortical parts of the auditory system. In the title of a prior book, the term Binaural Listening is used to indicate a focus on sub-cortical functions. Psychoacoustics and auditory signal processing contribute substantially to this area. The preprocessed signals are then forwarded to the cortical parts of the auditory system where, among other things, recognition, classification, localization, scene analysis, assignment of meaning, quality assessment, and action planning take place. Also, information from different sensory modalities is integrated at this level. Between sub-cortical and cortical regions of the auditory system, numerous feedback loops exist that ultimately support the high complexity and plasticity of the auditory system. The current book concentrates on these cognitive functions. Instead of processing signals, processing symbols is now the predominant modeling task. Substantial contributions to the field draw upon the knowledge acquired by cognitive psychology. The keyword Binaural Understanding in the book title characterizes this shift. Both books, The Technology of Binaural Listening and the current one, have been stimulated and supported by AABBA, an open research group devoted to the development and application of models of binaural hearing. The current book is dedicated to technologies that help explain, facilitate, apply, and support various aspects of binaural understanding. It is organized into five parts, each containing three to six chapters in order to provide a comprehensive overview of this emerging area. Each chapter was thoroughly reviewed by at least two anonymous, external experts. The first part deals with the psychophysical and physiological effects of Forming and Interpreting Aural Objects as well as the underlying models. The fundamental concepts of reflexive and reflective auditory feedback are introduced. Mechanisms of binaural attention and attention switching are covered-as well as how auditory Gestalt rules facilitate binaural understanding. A general blackboard architecture is introduced as an example of how machines can learn to form and interpret aural objects to simulate human cognitive listening. The second part, Configuring and Understanding Aural Space, focuses on the human understanding of complex three-dimensional environments-covering the psychological and biological fundamentals of auditory space formation. This part further addresses the human mechanisms used to process information and interact in complex reverberant environments, such as concert halls and forests, and additionally examines how the auditory system can learn to understand and adapt to these environments. The third part is dedicated to Processing Cross-Modal Inference and highlights the fundamental human mechanisms used to integrate auditory cues with cues from other modalities to localize and form perceptual objects. This part also provides a general framework for understanding how complex multimodal scenes can be simulated and rendered. The fourth part, Evaluating Aural-scene Quality and Speech Understanding, focuses on the object-forming aspects of binaural listening and understanding. It addresses cognitive mechanisms involved in both the understanding of speech and the processing of nonverbal information such as Sound Quality and Quality-of- Experience. The aesthetic judgment of rooms is also discussed in this context. Models that simulate underlying human processes and performance are covered in addition to techniques for rendering virtual environments that can then be used to test these models. The fifth part deals with the Application of Cognitive Mechanisms to Audio Technology. It highlights how cognitive mechanisms can be utilized to create spatial auditory illusions using binaural and other 3D-audio technologies. Further, it covers how cognitive binaural technologies can be applied to improve human performance in auditory displays and to develop new auditory technologies for interactive robots. The book concludes with the application of cognitive binaural technologies to the next generation of hearing aids.
The book collects selected papers presented at the 5th International Conference on Aerospace System Science and Engineering (ICASSE 2021), organized by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China, hosted by Moscow Aviation Institute, Russia. It provides a forum for experts in aeronautics and astronautics to share new ideas and findings. ICASSE conference has been organized annually since 2017 and host in Shanghai, Moscow, and Toronto in turn, where the three regional editors of journal Aerospace Systems are located. This book presents high-quality contributions in the subject area of Aerospace System Science and Engineering, including topics such as: Trans-space vehicle systems design and integration, Air vehicle systems, Space vehicle systems, Near-space vehicle systems, Opto-electronic system, Aerospace robotics and unmanned system, Aerospace robotics and unmanned system, Communication, navigation and surveillance, Dynamics and control, Intelligent sensing and Information fusion, Aerodynamics and aircraft design, Aerospace propulsion, Avionics system, Air traffic management, Earth observation, Deep space exploration, Bionic micro-aircraft/spacecraft.
This book is a compilation of selected papers from the Fourth International Technical Symposium on Deepwater Oil and Gas Engineering & The Third International Youth Forum on Gas Hydrate, held in Qingdao, China in December 2021. The work focuses on the advancement of techniques for the deepwater oil and gas exploitation and natural gas hydrate exploitation. The book introduces new ideas for exploring deepwater oil and gas hydrate in a safe and efficient way. Advances of the natural gas hydrate pilot production in South China Sea, in oil and gas flow assurance and emerging technologies based on clathrate hydrate will be presented. It is a valuable resource for both practitioners and academics working in the field of deepwater oil and gas engineering.
This book introduces readers to basic approaches in and principles of marine nuclear power design, including overall reactor design, in-core design, coolant systems and devices, I&C system design, safety system design, and dynamic analysis assessment. It comprehensively reviews both the fundamentals of and latest trends in nuclear-powered devices, covering their entire lifespan, from design and testing to operation and decommissioning. Further, it explores in detail various real-world conditions in the marine context - such as insufficient space for equipment deployment and frequently changing operating conditions as well as swinging and tilting. Offering extensive information on the design and operation of marine nuclear power systems, the book is a valuable resource for researchers and professionals in the area of marine science and nuclear engineering, and graduate students intending to embark on a career in the field.
The COSPAR Colloquium on Solar-Terrestrial Magnetic Activity and Space Environment (STMASE) was held in the National Astronomy Observatories of Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC) in Beijing, China in September 10-12, 2001. The meeting was focused on five areas of the solar-terrestrial magnetic activity and space environment studies, including study on solar surface magnetism; solar magnetic activity, dynamical response of the heliosphere; space weather prediction; and space environment exploration and monitoring. A hot topic of space research, CMEs, which are widely believed to be the most important phenomenon of the space environment, is discussed in many papers. Other papers show results of observational and theoretical studies toward better understanding of the complicated image of the magnetic coupling between the Sun and the Earth, although little is still known little its physical background. Space weather prediction, which is very important for a modern society expanding into out-space, is another hot topic of space research. However, a long way is still to go to predict exactly when and where a disaster will happen in the space. In that sense, there is much to do for space environment exploration and monitoring. The manuscripts submitted to this Monograph are divided into the following parts: (1) solar surface magnetism, (2) solar magnetic activity, (3) dynamical response of the heliosphere, (4) space environment exploration and monitoring; and (5) space weather prediction. Papers presented in this meeting but not submitted to this Monograph are listed by title as unpublished papers at the end of this book.
This open access textbook, like Rayleigh's classic Theory of Sound, focuses on experiments and on approximation techniques rather than mathematical rigor. The second edition has benefited from comments and corrections provided by many acousticians, in particular those who have used the first edition in undergraduate and graduate courses. For example, phasor notation has been added to clearly distinguish complex variables, and there is a new section on radiation from an unbaffled piston. Drawing on over 40 years of teaching experience at UCLA, the Naval Postgraduate School, and Penn State, the author presents a uniform methodology, based on hydrodynamic fundamentals for analysis of lumped-element systems and wave propagation that can accommodate dissipative mechanisms and geometrically-complex media. Five chapters on vibration and elastic waves highlight modern applications, including viscoelasticity and resonance techniques for measurement of elastic moduli, while introducing analytical techniques and approximation strategies that are revisited in nine subsequent chapters describing all aspects of generation, transmission, scattering, and reception of waves in fluids. Problems integrate multiple concepts, and several include experimental data to provide experience in choosing optimal strategies for extraction of experimental results and their uncertainties. Fundamental physical principles that do not ordinarily appear in other acoustics textbooks, like adiabatic invariance, similitude, the Kramers-Kronig relations, and the equipartition theorem, are shown to provide independent tests of results obtained from numerical solutions, commercial software, and simulations. Thanks to the Veneklasen Research Foundation, this popular textbook is now open access, making the e-book available for free download worldwide. Provides graduate-level treatment of acoustics and vibration suitable for use in courses, for self-study, and as a reference Highlights fundamental physical principles that can provide independent tests of the validity of numerical solutions, commercial software, and computer simulations Demonstrates approximation techniques that greatly simplify the mathematics without a substantial decrease in accuracy Incorporates a hydrodynamic approach to the acoustics of sound in fluids that provides a uniform methodology for analysis of lumped-element systems and wave propagation Emphasizes actual applications as examples of topics explained in the text Includes realistic end-of-chapter problems, some including experimental data, as well as a Solutions Manual for instructors. Features "Talk Like an Acoustician" boxes to highlight key terms introduced in the text.
Coal is the commodity that powered the technologies that made the modern world. It also brought about unique communities marked by a high degree of social solidarity and self-help. Mining was central to working class life, drawing rural populations into industrial labour, but it often took place in picturesque landscapes, so that its black spoil heaps became a central symbol of the degradation of pastoral life by the demands of an extractive industry. Throughout Europe and the USA photographers have pictured the characteristic landscapes of the industry, and continue to do so as strip mining devastates huge areas of land. Not only landscape photography but also documentary, portraiture, photojournalism and art photography have been used in order to portray mines and miners. This book presents three interlinked strands of investigation. The first is the way in which the production of coal created paradigmatic communities grounded in particular landscapes. The second concerns the role of photography in exploring, delineating and critiquing mining communities. This in turn involves an examination of the aesthetic and social characteristics of a number of genres of photography. Lastly, it considers the growth and decline of these sites, the geographic shift of the industry to other places, and the re-presentation of traditional localities through the lens of the heritage industry and industrial tourism.
This book presents the fundamentals of the reservoir and interfacial engineering. The book systematically starts with the basics of primary, secondary and tertiary (enhanced) oil recovery and emphasizes on the theory of microbial-enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) and its potential toward recovery of oil in place. Different approaches of MEOR such as in-situ, ex-situ, and integration of chemical- and microbial-enhanced oil recovery (EOR) are discussed in detail. This book highlights the link between the effectiveness of MEOR and the local reservoir conditions, crude oil characteristics, and indigenous microbial community. The latest implementations of MEOR across the globe are highlighted as case studies to outline the potential as well as the scope of MEOR. Given the topics covered, this book will be useful for professionals and researchers working in the areas of petroleum science and engineering, chemical engineering, biotechnology, bioengineering, and other related fields.
If charged particles move through the interplanetary or interstellar medium, they interact with a large-scale magnetic ?eld such as the magnetic ?eld of the Sun or the Galactic magnetic ?eld. As these background ?elds are usually nearly constant in time and space, they can be approximated by a homogeneous ?eld. If there are no additional ?elds, the particle trajectory is a perfect helix along which the par- cle moves at a constant speed. In reality, however, there are turbulent electric and magnetic?elds dueto the interstellaror solar wind plasma. These ?elds lead to sc- tering of the cosmic rays parallel and perpendicular to the background ?eld. These scattering effects, which usually are of diffusive nature, can be described by s- tial diffusion coef?cients or, alternatively, by mean free paths. The knowledge of these parameters is essential for describing cosmic ray propagation as well as d- fusive shock acceleration. The latter process is responsible for the high cosmic ray energies that have been observed. The layout of this book is as follows. In Chap. 1, the general physical scenario is presented. We discuss fundamental processes such as cosmic ray propagation and acceleration in different systems such as the solar system or the interst- lar space. These processes are a consequence of the interaction between charged cosmic particles and an astrophysical plasma (turbulence). The properties of such plasmas are therefore the subject of Chap. 2.
Worship Sound Spaces unites specialists from architecture, acoustic engineering and the social sciences to encourage closer analysis of the sound environments within places of worship. Gathering a wide range of case studies set in Europe, Asia, North America, the Middle East and Africa, the book presents investigations into Muslim, Christian and Hindu spaces. These diverse cultural contexts demonstrate the composite nature of designing and experiencing places of worship. Beginning with a historical overview of the three primary indicators in acoustic design of religious buildings, reverberation, intelligibility and clarity, the second part of this edited collection offers a series of field studies devoted to perception, before moving onto recent examples of restoration of the sound ambiances of former religious buildings. Written for academics and students interested in architecture, cultural heritage, acoustics, sensory studies and sound. The multimedia documents of this volume may be consulted at the address: https://frama.link/WSS
In Max/MSP/Jitter for Music, expert author and music technologist
V. J. Manzo provides a user-friendly introduction to a powerful
programming language that can be used to write custom software for
musical interaction. Through clear, step-by-step instructions
illustrated with numerous examples of working systems, the book
equips you with everything you need to know in order to design and
complete meaningful music projects. The book also discusses ways to
interact with software beyond the mouse and keyboard through use of
camera tracking, pitch tracking, video game controllers, sensors,
mobile devices, and more.
This book gathers the latest advances, innovations, and applications in the field of computational geomechanics, as presented by international researchers and engineers at the 16th International Conference of the International Association for Computer Methods and Advances in Geomechanics (IACMAG), held in Turin, Italy on August 30 - September 2, 2022. Contributions include a wide range of topics in geomechanics such as: laboratory and field testing, constitutive modelling, monitoring and remote sensing, multiphase modelling, reliability and risk analysis, surface structures, deep structures, dams and earth structures, natural slopes, mining engineering, earthquake and dynamics, soil-atmosphere interaction, ice mechanics, landfills and waste disposal, gas and petroleum engineering, geothermal energy, offshore technology, energy geostructures and computational rail geotechnics.
This thesis is concerned with flows through cascades, i.e. periodic arrays of obstacles. Such geometries are relevant to a range of physical scenarios, chiefly the aerodynamics and aeroacoustics of turbomachinery flows. Despite the fact that turbomachinery is of paramount importance to a number of industries, many of the underlying mechanisms in cascade flows remain opaque. In order to clarify the function of different physical parameters, the author considers six separate problems. For example, he explores the significance of realistic blade geometries in predicting turbomachinery performance, and the possibility that porous blades can achieve noise reductions. In order to solve these challenging problems, the author deploys and indeed develops techniques from across the spectrum of complex analysis: the Wiener-Hopf method, Riemann-Hilbert problems, and the Schottky-Klein prime function all feature prominently. These sophisticated tools are then used to elucidate the underlying mathematical and physical structures present in cascade flows. The ensuing solutions greatly extend previous works and offer new avenues for future research. The results are not of simply academic value but are also useful for aircraft designers seeking to balance aeroacoustic and aerodynamic effects.
This book offers a comprehensive presentation of the most important phenomena in building physics: heat transfer, moisture/humidity, sound/acoustics and illumination. As the book is primarily aimed at engineers, it addresses technical issues with the necessary pragmatism and incorporates many practical examples and related international standards. In order to ensure a complete understanding, it also explains the underlying physical principles and relates them to practical aspects in a simple and clear manner. The relationships between the various phenomena of building physics are clarified through consistent cross-referencing of formulas and ideas. The second edition features both new and revised sections on topics such as energy balance, solar gain, ventilation, road traffic and daylighting and takes into account new developments in international standards. It newly features almost 200 illustrations and 21 videos worth of supplementary material. The book is primarily aimed at students of civil engineering and architecture, as well as scientists and practitioners in these fields who wish to deepen or broaden their knowledge of topics within building physics.
Musical Performance covers many aspects like Musical Acoustics, Music Psychology, or motor and prosodic actions. It deals with basic concepts of the origin or music and its evolution, ranges over neurocognitive foundations, and covers computational, technological, or simulation solutions. This volume gives an overview about current research in the foundation of musical performance studies on all these levels. Recent concepts of synchronized systems, evolutionary concepts, basic understanding of performance as Gestalt patterns, theories of chill as performance goals or historical aspects are covered. The neurocognitive basis of motor action in terms of music, musical syntax, as well as therapeutic aspects are discussed. State-of-the-art applications in performance realizations, like virtual room acoustics, virtual musicians, new concepts of real-time physical modeling using complex performance data as input or sensor and gesture studies with soft- and hardware solutions are presented. So although the field is still much larger, this volume presents current trends in terms of understanding, implementing, and perceiving performance.
The main focus of this monograph is urban acoustic environment of urban spatial morphology.It provides in-depth evaluation and research on the correlation between urban spatial morphology indicator and urban acoustic environment using urban spatial morphology and urban space units. Furthermore, it conducts quantitative analysis and statistic evaluation to reveal the relationship between urban planning indicators and acoustic environment. It also provides optimized strategies from three aspects of urban planning, architecture and landscape respectively. It intertwines the quantitative research of both acoustic environment and urban morphology through in-depth analysis and urban microclimate simulation by using Cadna/A acoustic simulation software. It concludes the influencing mechanism of acoustic environment on urban morphology. It makes a valuable contribution for the research on urban environment and urban morphology.
Well Testing is recognised by many operating oil and gas companies
to be the most hazardous operation they routinely undertake.
Therefore, it is of great importance that such operations are
extremely well planned and executed.
This book presents fundamental theories, design and testing methodologies, and engineering applications concerning spacecraft thermal control systems, helping readers gain a comprehensive understanding of spacecraft thermal control systems and technologies. With abundant design methods, advanced technologies and typical applications to help them grasp the basic concepts and principles of engineering applications, it is mainly intended for engineering and technical staff engaged in spacecraft thermal control areas. The book discusses the thermal environments commonly used for space flight missions, rules and regulations for system design, thermal analysis and simulation, and thermal testing methods, as well as the design and validation of the thermal control systems for Chinese spacecraft, such as the Shenzhou spacecraft and Chang'e Lunar Lander and Rover. It also introduces them to communication and remote sensing satellites and presents advanced thermal control technologies developed in recent years, including heat transfer, heat insulation, heating, refrigeration and thermal sensor technologies. Addressing the design and validation of thermal control systems for various types of Chinese spacecraft, the book offers a valuable theoretical and practical reference guide for researchers and engineers alike.
This book presents a technical solution to ensuring the noise immunity of navigation systems in civil aviation aircrafts at the stages of their terminal procedures. It highlights instrumental precision approaches to landing and landing in automatic mode using satellite and inertial radio navigation systems and ground-based augmentation used as the primary means, in accordance with the ICAO requirements. The book is intended for engineering and technical specialists engaged in the development, manufacture and operation of on-board radio electronic systems of aircrafts and ground-based radio engineering support for flights, as well as graduate students and senior students of radio engineering specialties. It is also useful for professionals whose activities are related to air traffic control.
This book presents advances in speech and music in the domain of audio signal processing. The book begins with introductory chapters on the basics of speech and music, and then proceeds to computational aspects of speech and music, including music information retrieval and spoken language processing. The authors discuss the intersection in the field of computer science, musicology and speech analysis, and how the multifaceted nature of speech and music information processing requires unique algorithms, systems using sophisticated signal processing, and machine learning techniques that better extract useful information. The authors discuss how a deep understanding of both speech and music in terms of perception, emotion, mood, gesture and cognition is essential for successful application. Also discussed is the overwhelming amount of data that has been generated across the world that requires efficient processing for better maintenance, retrieval, indexing and querying and how machine learning and artificial intelligence are most suited for these computational tasks. The book provides both technological knowledge and a comprehensive treatment of essential topics in speech and music processing.
There is an unbridged gap between human aspirations to travel into space and the barriers to realizing such dreams. Despite optimistic predictions, a viable space tourism industry has yet to emerge, with only a handful of 'millionaire' space tourists having experienced travel in outer space. Space tourism remains an elusive dream. This is the first comprehensive, multidisciplinary work on the emergent phenomenon of space tourism. Leading specialists from a range of fields cover a wide spectrum of topics including the space history and technology underpinning current developments; space tourists' motivations; and the environmental, social, and legal aspects concomitant with a space tourism industry. The book is unique in its focus on virtual forms of space travel, such as those manifesting in virtual reality, films, and games. The volume takes a nuanced and critical approach to the development of aspirations to leave Earth, stressing the far-reaching implications for the environment and for human life and society on Earth. The book is written in an approachable manner, making it accessible to both academics and the interested general reader. Owing to its interdisciplinary character, it should be of interest to practitioners and teachers across the sciences, humanities, and social sciences.
Due to steadily improving experimental accuracy, relativistic concepts - based on Einstein's theory of Special and General Relativity - are playing an increasingly important role in modern geodesy. This book offers an introduction to the emerging field of relativistic geodesy, and covers topics ranging from the description of clocks and test bodies, to time and frequency measurements, to current and future observations. Emphasis is placed on geodetically relevant definitions and fundamental methods in the context of Einstein's theory (e.g. the role of observers, use of clocks, definition of reference systems and the geoid, use of relativistic approximation schemes). Further, the applications discussed range from chronometric and gradiometric determinations of the gravitational field, to the latest (satellite) experiments. The impact of choices made at a fundamental theoretical level on the interpretation of measurements and the planning of future experiments is also highlighted. Providing an up-to-the-minute status report on the respective topics discussed, the book will not only benefit experts, but will also serve as a guide for students with a background in either geodesy or gravitational physics who are interested in entering and exploring this emerging field. |
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