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• 31. [Article] Effect of riparian areas on the ecological condition of small, perennial streams in agricultural landscapes of the Willamette Valley : research plan, June 1997

  Little research has been directed toward determining the status and ecological role of riparian areas in agricultural landscapes of the Willamette Valley, Oregon. A research project has been designed to ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Effect of riparian areas on the ecological condition of small, perennial streams in agricultural landscapes of the Willamette Valley : research plan, June 1997 Author: Moser, Thomas J., Schuft, Michael J., Wigington, P.J., Herlihy, Alan T., Van Sickle, John, Kaufmann, Phillip R., McAllister, Lynne S. Little research has been directed toward determining the status and ecological role of riparian areas in agricultural landscapes of the Willamette Valley, Oregon. A research project has been designed to contribute to the development and evaluation of alternative future scenarios and to improve the basic understanding of the role of riparian areas on the ecological condition of small, perennial streams in agricultural landscapes of the Willamette Valley. The objectives of the research are: (1) to quantify relationships between riparian attributes at varying spatial scales and stream ecological condition, and (2) to estimate the influence of selected riparian area-agricultural configurations on the indicators of stream ecological condition. To address these objectives, remotely-sensed imagery (aerial photography and thematic mapper satellite imagery) will be used to quantify land cover at multiple spatial scales (i.e., stream reach, stream network, watershed), from which riparian vegetation function, land use stressor, and stream network structure indicators (i.e., potential explanatory variables) are derived for 41 study watersheds. Title: Effect of riparian areas on the ecological condition of small, perennial streams in agricultural landscapes of the Willamette Valley : research plan, June 1997 Author: Moser, Thomas J., Schuft, Michael J., Wigington, P.J., Herlihy, Alan T., Van Sickle, John, Kaufmann, Phillip R., McAllister, Lynne S. Little research has been directed toward determining the status and ecological role of riparian areas in agricultural landscapes of the Willamette Valley, Oregon. A research project has been designed to contribute to the development and evaluation of alternative future scenarios and to improve the basic understanding of the role of riparian areas on the ecological condition of small, perennial streams in agricultural landscapes of the Willamette Valley. The objectives of the research are: (1) to quantify relationships between riparian attributes at varying spatial scales and stream ecological condition, and (2) to estimate the influence of selected riparian area-agricultural configurations on the indicators of stream ecological condition. To address these objectives, remotely-sensed imagery (aerial photography and thematic mapper satellite imagery) will be used to quantify land cover at multiple spatial scales (i.e., stream reach, stream network, watershed), from which riparian vegetation function, land use stressor, and stream network structure indicators (i.e., potential explanatory variables) are derived for 41 study watersheds. Close

• 32. [Article] Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) for Engineering Inspections and Geospatial Mapping

  Small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) carrying consumer-grade nonmetric cameras are increasingly utilized to generate high-resolution 3D geospatial data. Low cost, ease of operation, widespread availability ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) for Engineering Inspections and Geospatial Mapping Author: Javadnejad, Farid Small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) carrying consumer-grade nonmetric cameras are increasingly utilized to generate high-resolution 3D geospatial data. Low cost, ease of operation, widespread availability and low altitude maneuvering capabilities of UAS, as well as the rapid development of technology and methods, make UAS-based photogrammetry applicable to many civil engineering applications such as visualization, 3D mapping, progress monitoring, construction, structural inspection, maintenance, and monitoring. Using computer vision techniques, Structure from Motion (SfM) and Multi-View Stereo (MVS), it is possible to reconstruct 3D scenes from inexpensive, consumer-grade cameras mounted on a UAS. Despite the increasing popularity of UAS, significant research questions remain regarding the accuracy of UAS-based mapping products. In addition, new tools and methods are required to manage and process the vast amount of data generated by UAS. This research explores several novel approaches to address some of these needs in the field of UAS-based photogrammetry. First, a new approach is developed for supplementing the 3D point clouds derived from UAS imagery with thermal infrared (TIR) imagery. Currently, there are several challenges for reconstructing accurate 3D scenes or point clouds solely from overlapping TIR imagery. For instance, consumer-grade TIR cameras have relatively low resolution and a narrow field view; moreover, such cameras usually generate images with blurred edges and textures. An approach is proposed and evaluated for generating 3D TIR-RGB point clouds utilizing coacquired TIR and RGB images. First, a 3D point cloud is generated using the RGB images; afterward, the TIR data is attributed to the 3D point cloud using a boresight technique. Using the proposed approach, dense point clouds are generated that contain both RGB and TIR information. Such an approach can be beneficial for many thermal mapping and inspection projects, including heat loss inspection, non-destructive testing of structures, and electrical parts inspection for power transmission. Second, the research examines the feasibility of utilizing UAS-based photogrammetry for detecting the change of above-ground pipelines. Since it is inexpensive to fly, UAS are ideal for inspecting, monitoring, and detecting changes in the sites over time. In the researched approach, repetitive UAS flights were conducted to derive 3D digital terrain models in order to detect and measure the movement of pipelines in the scene. The results are compared with displacement measurements taken from conventional ground surveys using real-time kinematic (RTK) global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receivers and total stations. Thirdly, this study introduces new dense point cloud quality factors (DPQF) to use as proxy indicators for assessing the accuracy of SfM-MVS dense point clouds. Simulated and empirical experiments are used to assess the accuracy of image-based 3D reconstructed models with respect to different data collection and site condition scenarios. The spatial correlation between the DPQFs and the reconstruction error is investigated and interpreted for multiple experiments. The results of this study show that the DPQF can be a helpful additional field of information for 3D point clouds. Last, this research introduces a new web GIS tool, named BridgeDex, for management of time-aware series of high-resolution bridge inspection images, such as images collected from handheld digital cameras or cameras on UAS. This tool can be used to manage and query bridge inspection images, bridge reports, and other relevant metadata. This web-based prototype provides the user a simple interface for viewing, panning and zooming in and out of bridge imagery collected over the years as a result of numerous bridge inspections. The tool provides the user an intuitive, organized method for evaluating and managing bridge inspection data. Title: Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) for Engineering Inspections and Geospatial Mapping Author: Javadnejad, Farid Small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) carrying consumer-grade nonmetric cameras are increasingly utilized to generate high-resolution 3D geospatial data. Low cost, ease of operation, widespread availability and low altitude maneuvering capabilities of UAS, as well as the rapid development of technology and methods, make UAS-based photogrammetry applicable to many civil engineering applications such as visualization, 3D mapping, progress monitoring, construction, structural inspection, maintenance, and monitoring. Using computer vision techniques, Structure from Motion (SfM) and Multi-View Stereo (MVS), it is possible to reconstruct 3D scenes from inexpensive, consumer-grade cameras mounted on a UAS. Despite the increasing popularity of UAS, significant research questions remain regarding the accuracy of UAS-based mapping products. In addition, new tools and methods are required to manage and process the vast amount of data generated by UAS. This research explores several novel approaches to address some of these needs in the field of UAS-based photogrammetry. First, a new approach is developed for supplementing the 3D point clouds derived from UAS imagery with thermal infrared (TIR) imagery. Currently, there are several challenges for reconstructing accurate 3D scenes or point clouds solely from overlapping TIR imagery. For instance, consumer-grade TIR cameras have relatively low resolution and a narrow field view; moreover, such cameras usually generate images with blurred edges and textures. An approach is proposed and evaluated for generating 3D TIR-RGB point clouds utilizing coacquired TIR and RGB images. First, a 3D point cloud is generated using the RGB images; afterward, the TIR data is attributed to the 3D point cloud using a boresight technique. Using the proposed approach, dense point clouds are generated that contain both RGB and TIR information. Such an approach can be beneficial for many thermal mapping and inspection projects, including heat loss inspection, non-destructive testing of structures, and electrical parts inspection for power transmission. Second, the research examines the feasibility of utilizing UAS-based photogrammetry for detecting the change of above-ground pipelines. Since it is inexpensive to fly, UAS are ideal for inspecting, monitoring, and detecting changes in the sites over time. In the researched approach, repetitive UAS flights were conducted to derive 3D digital terrain models in order to detect and measure the movement of pipelines in the scene. The results are compared with displacement measurements taken from conventional ground surveys using real-time kinematic (RTK) global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receivers and total stations. Thirdly, this study introduces new dense point cloud quality factors (DPQF) to use as proxy indicators for assessing the accuracy of SfM-MVS dense point clouds. Simulated and empirical experiments are used to assess the accuracy of image-based 3D reconstructed models with respect to different data collection and site condition scenarios. The spatial correlation between the DPQFs and the reconstruction error is investigated and interpreted for multiple experiments. The results of this study show that the DPQF can be a helpful additional field of information for 3D point clouds. Last, this research introduces a new web GIS tool, named BridgeDex, for management of time-aware series of high-resolution bridge inspection images, such as images collected from handheld digital cameras or cameras on UAS. This tool can be used to manage and query bridge inspection images, bridge reports, and other relevant metadata. This web-based prototype provides the user a simple interface for viewing, panning and zooming in and out of bridge imagery collected over the years as a result of numerous bridge inspections. The tool provides the user an intuitive, organized method for evaluating and managing bridge inspection data. Close

• 33. [Article] American Belly Dance and the Invention of the New Exotic: Orientalism, Feminism, and Popular Culture

  Belly dance classes have become increasingly popular in recent decades in the United States. Many of the predominantly white, middle-class American women who belly dance proclaim that it is a source of ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: American Belly Dance and the Invention of the New Exotic: Orientalism, Feminism, and Popular Culture Author: Haynes-Clark, Jennifer Lynn Year: 2010 Belly dance classes have become increasingly popular in recent decades in the United States. Many of the predominantly white, middle-class American women who belly dance proclaim that it is a source of feminist identity and empowerment that brings deeper meaning to their lives. American practitioners of this art form commonly explain that it originated from ritual-based dances of ancient Middle Eastern cultures and regard their participation as a link in a continuous lineage of female dancers. In contrast to the stigmatization and marginalization of public dance performers in the Middle East today, the favorable meaning that American dancers attribute to belly dance may indicate an imagined history of this dance. Based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted on the West Coast of the United States and Morocco in 2008-2009, I explore American belly dance utilizing theoretical contributions from feminism, Foucauldian discourse analysis, and postmodernism. I argue that an anthropological investigation of American belly dance reveals that its imagery and concepts draw from a larger discourse of Orientalism, connected to a colonial legacy that defines West against East, a process of othering that continues to inform global politics and perpetuates cultural imperialism. But the creative identity construction that American women explore through belly dance is a multi-layered and complex process. I disrupt the binary assumptions of Orientalist thinking, highlighting the heterogeneity and dynamic quality of this dance community and exploring emergent types of American belly dance. Rather than pretending to be the exotic Other, American belly dancers are inventing a new exotic Self. This cultural anthropological study contributes to a greater understanding of identity and society by demonstrating ways that American belly dancers act as agents, creatively and strategically utilizing discursive motifs to accomplish social and personal goals. Title: American Belly Dance and the Invention of the New Exotic: Orientalism, Feminism, and Popular Culture Author: Haynes-Clark, Jennifer Lynn Year: 2010 Belly dance classes have become increasingly popular in recent decades in the United States. Many of the predominantly white, middle-class American women who belly dance proclaim that it is a source of feminist identity and empowerment that brings deeper meaning to their lives. American practitioners of this art form commonly explain that it originated from ritual-based dances of ancient Middle Eastern cultures and regard their participation as a link in a continuous lineage of female dancers. In contrast to the stigmatization and marginalization of public dance performers in the Middle East today, the favorable meaning that American dancers attribute to belly dance may indicate an imagined history of this dance. Based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted on the West Coast of the United States and Morocco in 2008-2009, I explore American belly dance utilizing theoretical contributions from feminism, Foucauldian discourse analysis, and postmodernism. I argue that an anthropological investigation of American belly dance reveals that its imagery and concepts draw from a larger discourse of Orientalism, connected to a colonial legacy that defines West against East, a process of othering that continues to inform global politics and perpetuates cultural imperialism. But the creative identity construction that American women explore through belly dance is a multi-layered and complex process. I disrupt the binary assumptions of Orientalist thinking, highlighting the heterogeneity and dynamic quality of this dance community and exploring emergent types of American belly dance. Rather than pretending to be the exotic Other, American belly dancers are inventing a new exotic Self. This cultural anthropological study contributes to a greater understanding of identity and society by demonstrating ways that American belly dancers act as agents, creatively and strategically utilizing discursive motifs to accomplish social and personal goals. Close

• 34. [Article] "Style upon style": The Handmaid's Tale as a palimpsest of genres

  This thesis undertakes an examination of Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, as a layering of genres. A futuristic dystopia that imagines late twentieth-century America as having fallen ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: "Style upon style": The Handmaid's Tale as a palimpsest of genres Author: Boulware, Taylor J. This thesis undertakes an examination of Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, as a layering of genres. A futuristic dystopia that imagines late twentieth-century America as having fallen into neo-Puritanism and totalitarianism following widespread infertility and violence, The Handmaid’s Tale invites contemplation of various forms of fundamentalism, radicalism, and sexual politics. Atwood’s use of palimpsestic imagery to convey a layered experience of time extends to the generic complexity of The Handmaid’s Tale. Using the image of the palimpsest as the controlling metaphor, I survey the ways in which the novel can be read as an historical novel, satire, and postmodern text, exploring the ways in which the novel embodies and extends the defining characteristics of each genre. These genres share the common trait of functioning as social commentary. Thus, an examination of the novel’s layering of genres works to provide greater insights into the ways in which Atwood is interrogating the mid-1980s cultural milieu to which she was responding and from which she was writing. Title: "Style upon style": The Handmaid's Tale as a palimpsest of genres Author: Boulware, Taylor J. This thesis undertakes an examination of Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, as a layering of genres. A futuristic dystopia that imagines late twentieth-century America as having fallen into neo-Puritanism and totalitarianism following widespread infertility and violence, The Handmaid’s Tale invites contemplation of various forms of fundamentalism, radicalism, and sexual politics. Atwood’s use of palimpsestic imagery to convey a layered experience of time extends to the generic complexity of The Handmaid’s Tale. Using the image of the palimpsest as the controlling metaphor, I survey the ways in which the novel can be read as an historical novel, satire, and postmodern text, exploring the ways in which the novel embodies and extends the defining characteristics of each genre. These genres share the common trait of functioning as social commentary. Thus, an examination of the novel’s layering of genres works to provide greater insights into the ways in which Atwood is interrogating the mid-1980s cultural milieu to which she was responding and from which she was writing. Close

• 35. [Article] Notions of Progress: The Framing of Women in the Arab Spring

  The Arab Spring marked a new age of international political participation and support, facilitated by the wide circulation of imagery via social and mass media. Many in the West found themselves in ideological ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Notions of Progress: The Framing of Women in the Arab Spring Author: Strait, Laura Year: 2014 The Arab Spring marked a new age of international political participation and support, facilitated by the wide circulation of imagery via social and mass media. Many in the West found themselves in ideological agreement with the political efforts of the protests, upholding the U.S. rhetorical tenets of democracy and freedom of speech. The visual framing of the Arab Spring in U.S. news media played a crucial role in forging this ideological consensus. My thesis focuses specifically on the visual framing of women in the Egyptian uprising by exploring the Western news portrayal of the presence of women in the Egyptian political sphere. In order to ground my assessment of Western perceptions, I conduct a content analysis of coverage of the Egyptian uprising protests from Getty and AP photography databases. My analysis is also supported and influenced by a rigorous theoretical foundation in framing theory, Orientalism, and postcolonial feminist theory. Title: Notions of Progress: The Framing of Women in the Arab Spring Author: Strait, Laura Year: 2014 The Arab Spring marked a new age of international political participation and support, facilitated by the wide circulation of imagery via social and mass media. Many in the West found themselves in ideological agreement with the political efforts of the protests, upholding the U.S. rhetorical tenets of democracy and freedom of speech. The visual framing of the Arab Spring in U.S. news media played a crucial role in forging this ideological consensus. My thesis focuses specifically on the visual framing of women in the Egyptian uprising by exploring the Western news portrayal of the presence of women in the Egyptian political sphere. In order to ground my assessment of Western perceptions, I conduct a content analysis of coverage of the Egyptian uprising protests from Getty and AP photography databases. My analysis is also supported and influenced by a rigorous theoretical foundation in framing theory, Orientalism, and postcolonial feminist theory. Close

• 36. [Image] 1985 Zee exhibition list

  	Allen Bruce Zee has been exploring the art of photography since 1969. It is often the intimate view that is most intriguing to him--the landscapes in the hood of a rusting auto, the intricacies of a ponderorsa ...
  	Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: 1985 Zee exhibition list Author: Zee, Allan Bruce Year: 1975 Allen Bruce Zee has been exploring the art of photography since 1969. It is often the intimate view that is most intriguing to him--the landscapes in the hood of a rusting auto, the intricacies of a ponderorsa bark, or the nautilus-like spirals of a staircase. He uses a painterly approach to his color work; the black and white photographs are imbued with an ethereal quality. The varied imagery is unified by a style that distills the visual reality into a transformed vision. His prints have been exhibited throughout the country and are in prominent collections. (promotional material, 1985) Title: 1985 Zee exhibition list Author: Zee, Allan Bruce Year: 1975 Allen Bruce Zee has been exploring the art of photography since 1969. It is often the intimate view that is most intriguing to him--the landscapes in the hood of a rusting auto, the intricacies of a ponderorsa bark, or the nautilus-like spirals of a staircase. He uses a painterly approach to his color work; the black and white photographs are imbued with an ethereal quality. The varied imagery is unified by a style that distills the visual reality into a transformed vision. His prints have been exhibited throughout the country and are in prominent collections. (promotional material, 1985) Close

• 37. [Article] Everything that Rises Must Converge: For Piano and Orchestra

  1 score (ix, 83 p.) A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number.

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Everything that Rises Must Converge: For Piano and Orchestra Author: Krause, Benjamin A., 1985- Year: 2010 1 score (ix, 83 p.) A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. Title: Everything that Rises Must Converge: For Piano and Orchestra Author: Krause, Benjamin A., 1985- Year: 2010 1 score (ix, 83 p.) A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. Close

• 38. [Article] Remote Sensing Technologies and Techniques for Parks and Historic Asset Management in Albany, Oregon

  The City of Albany, Oregon has iden ed three main objec ves to assist city sta to manage, analyze, and visualize historic aerial images for the purposes of parks and recrea on, as well as manage historic ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Remote Sensing Technologies and Techniques for Parks and Historic Asset Management in Albany, Oregon Author: Major, James, Kohler, Nick, Behrens, Syler Year: 2017 The City of Albany, Oregon has iden ed three main objec ves to assist city sta to manage, analyze, and visualize historic aerial images for the purposes of parks and recrea on, as well as manage historic assets. The University of Oregon Remote Sensing class, Geography 486/586, supported these e orts by genera ng the frameworks for these projects, mostly as descrip ons of proof of concept projects. Sample outputs from these projects, along with detailed descrip ons of how to recreate and expand upon them can help the city and its ci zens going forward as the technologies and techniques described within become more available and accessible, in both extent and cost. An example of this is LIDAR technology. LIDAR will become more common in the near future, allowing for ongoing change detec on and analysis. One of the class’s main objec ves was to look at the future possibili es and uses for remotely sensed data for park management and planning, for which LIDAR may prove to be cri cally important. Another important goal for the class was to examine the possibili es of remote sensing technology in historic asset management. Students worked on data storage and management techniques, including the crea on of databases and websites that can store and disseminate informa on as needed or desired. Another project explored the manipula on of historic aerial imagery using current technologies such as Structure from Mo on to create digital orthophotos and three-dimensional so ware to show what the City of Albany looked like from the air over eighty years ago.The class iden ed three objec ves to help Albany manage, analyze, and visualize historic aerial images for the purposes of parks and recrea on, as well as manage historic assets. These objec ves are: 1. Create a database of geospa ally registered images and maps. 2. Provide analysis and visualiza ons for park and historic asset management and planning. 3. Discuss future needs and possibili es for the use of remote sensing technologies for park and historic asset management and planning. In order to sa sfy these goals, students completed individual nal projects that explored speci c ways to assist the City of Albany with their objec ves. Student projects can be classi ed into three general categories: Uses of current remote sensing technologies, manipula on of historical imagery with current technologies, and data storage and management. Title: Remote Sensing Technologies and Techniques for Parks and Historic Asset Management in Albany, Oregon Author: Major, James, Kohler, Nick, Behrens, Syler Year: 2017 The City of Albany, Oregon has iden ed three main objec ves to assist city sta to manage, analyze, and visualize historic aerial images for the purposes of parks and recrea on, as well as manage historic assets. The University of Oregon Remote Sensing class, Geography 486/586, supported these e orts by genera ng the frameworks for these projects, mostly as descrip ons of proof of concept projects. Sample outputs from these projects, along with detailed descrip ons of how to recreate and expand upon them can help the city and its ci zens going forward as the technologies and techniques described within become more available and accessible, in both extent and cost. An example of this is LIDAR technology. LIDAR will become more common in the near future, allowing for ongoing change detec on and analysis. One of the class’s main objec ves was to look at the future possibili es and uses for remotely sensed data for park management and planning, for which LIDAR may prove to be cri cally important. Another important goal for the class was to examine the possibili es of remote sensing technology in historic asset management. Students worked on data storage and management techniques, including the crea on of databases and websites that can store and disseminate informa on as needed or desired. Another project explored the manipula on of historic aerial imagery using current technologies such as Structure from Mo on to create digital orthophotos and three-dimensional so ware to show what the City of Albany looked like from the air over eighty years ago.The class iden ed three objec ves to help Albany manage, analyze, and visualize historic aerial images for the purposes of parks and recrea on, as well as manage historic assets. These objec ves are: 1. Create a database of geospa ally registered images and maps. 2. Provide analysis and visualiza ons for park and historic asset management and planning. 3. Discuss future needs and possibili es for the use of remote sensing technologies for park and historic asset management and planning. In order to sa sfy these goals, students completed individual nal projects that explored speci c ways to assist the City of Albany with their objec ves. Student projects can be classi ed into three general categories: Uses of current remote sensing technologies, manipula on of historical imagery with current technologies, and data storage and management. Close

• 39. [Article] Planning Under Uncertainty for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

  Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology has grown out of traditional research and military applications and has captivated the commercial and consumer markets, showing the ability to perform a spectrum ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Planning Under Uncertainty for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Author: Skeele, Ryan Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology has grown out of traditional research and military applications and has captivated the commercial and consumer markets, showing the ability to perform a spectrum of autonomous functions. This technology has the capability of saving lives in search and rescue, fighting wildfires in environmental monitoring, and delivering time dependent medicine in package delivery. These examples demonstrate the potential impact this technology will have on our society. However, it is evident how sensitive UAVs are to the uncertainty of the physical world. In order to properly achieve the full potential of UAVs in these markets, robust and efficient planning algorithms are needed. This thesis addresses the challenge of planning under uncertainty for UAVs. We develop a suite of algorithms that are robust to changes in the environment and build on the key areas of research needed for utilizing UAVs in a commercial setting. Throughout this research three main components emerged: monitoring targets in dynamic environments, exploration with unreliable communication, and risk-aware path planning. We use a realistic fire simulation to test persistent monitoring in an uncertain environment. The fire is generated using the standard program for modeling wildfire, FARSITE. This model was used to validate a weighted-greedy approach to monitoring clustered points of interest (POIs) over traditional methods of tracking a fire front. We implemented the algorithm on a commercial UAV to demonstrate the deployment capability. Dynamic monitoring has limited potential if if coordinated planning is fallible to uncertainty in the world. Uncertain communication can cause critical failures in coordinated planning algorithms. We develop a method for coordinated exploration of a multi-UAV team with unreliable communication and limited battery life. Our results show that the proposed algorithm, which leverages meeting, sacrificing, and relaying behavior, increases the percentage of the environment explored over a frontier-based exploration strategy by up to 18%. We test on teams of up to 8 simulated UAVs and 2 real UAVs able to cope with communication loss and still report improved gains. We demonstrate this work with a pair of custom UAVs in an indoor office environment. We introduce a novel approach to incorporating and addressing uncertainty in planning problems. The proposed Risk-Aware Graph Search (RAGS) algorithm combines traditional deterministic search techniques with risk-aware planning. RAGS is able to trade off the number of future path options, as well as the mean and variance of the associated path cost distributions to make online edge traversal decisions that minimize the risk of executing a high-cost path. The algorithm is compared against existing graphsearch techniques on a set of graphs with randomly assigned edge costs, as well as over a set of graphs with transition costs generated from satellite imagery data. In all cases, RAGS is shown to reduce the probability of executing high-cost paths over A*, D* and a greedy planning approach. High level planning algorithms can be brittle in dynamic conditions where the environment is not modeled perfectly. In developing planners for uncertainty we ensure UAVs will be able to operate in conditions outside the scope of prior techniques. We address the need for robustness in robotic monitoring, coordination, and path planning tasks. Each of the three methods introduced were tested in simulated and real environments, and the results show improvement over traditional algorithms. Title: Planning Under Uncertainty for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Author: Skeele, Ryan Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology has grown out of traditional research and military applications and has captivated the commercial and consumer markets, showing the ability to perform a spectrum of autonomous functions. This technology has the capability of saving lives in search and rescue, fighting wildfires in environmental monitoring, and delivering time dependent medicine in package delivery. These examples demonstrate the potential impact this technology will have on our society. However, it is evident how sensitive UAVs are to the uncertainty of the physical world. In order to properly achieve the full potential of UAVs in these markets, robust and efficient planning algorithms are needed. This thesis addresses the challenge of planning under uncertainty for UAVs. We develop a suite of algorithms that are robust to changes in the environment and build on the key areas of research needed for utilizing UAVs in a commercial setting. Throughout this research three main components emerged: monitoring targets in dynamic environments, exploration with unreliable communication, and risk-aware path planning. We use a realistic fire simulation to test persistent monitoring in an uncertain environment. The fire is generated using the standard program for modeling wildfire, FARSITE. This model was used to validate a weighted-greedy approach to monitoring clustered points of interest (POIs) over traditional methods of tracking a fire front. We implemented the algorithm on a commercial UAV to demonstrate the deployment capability. Dynamic monitoring has limited potential if if coordinated planning is fallible to uncertainty in the world. Uncertain communication can cause critical failures in coordinated planning algorithms. We develop a method for coordinated exploration of a multi-UAV team with unreliable communication and limited battery life. Our results show that the proposed algorithm, which leverages meeting, sacrificing, and relaying behavior, increases the percentage of the environment explored over a frontier-based exploration strategy by up to 18%. We test on teams of up to 8 simulated UAVs and 2 real UAVs able to cope with communication loss and still report improved gains. We demonstrate this work with a pair of custom UAVs in an indoor office environment. We introduce a novel approach to incorporating and addressing uncertainty in planning problems. The proposed Risk-Aware Graph Search (RAGS) algorithm combines traditional deterministic search techniques with risk-aware planning. RAGS is able to trade off the number of future path options, as well as the mean and variance of the associated path cost distributions to make online edge traversal decisions that minimize the risk of executing a high-cost path. The algorithm is compared against existing graphsearch techniques on a set of graphs with randomly assigned edge costs, as well as over a set of graphs with transition costs generated from satellite imagery data. In all cases, RAGS is shown to reduce the probability of executing high-cost paths over A*, D* and a greedy planning approach. High level planning algorithms can be brittle in dynamic conditions where the environment is not modeled perfectly. In developing planners for uncertainty we ensure UAVs will be able to operate in conditions outside the scope of prior techniques. We address the need for robustness in robotic monitoring, coordination, and path planning tasks. Each of the three methods introduced were tested in simulated and real environments, and the results show improvement over traditional algorithms. Close

• 40. [Image] 1998 Nez artist statement

  	My recent works on paper are inspired by alchemical manuscripts. The alchemists documented their labors in enigmatic texts in which chemical procedures, cosmology and myths are woven together into fantastic ...
  	Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: 1998 Nez artist statement Author: Nez, David Year: 1975 My recent works on paper are inspired by alchemical manuscripts. The alchemists documented their labors in enigmatic texts in which chemical procedures, cosmology and myths are woven together into fantastic allegories. Similarly in my paintings I use imagery of birds, beasts, plants and minerals as symbols of the process of transformation, As an artist I view alchemy as a metaphor for the creative process in which there is progressive transformation and refinement of materials, imagery and ultimately consciousness. In alchemy and art alike the creative imagination is the vital agent of change. The alchemists described their labors as an "art". Like the alchemist I attempt to use physical processes as a mirror of inner experience. The materials become "transmuted" from their initially inert state through creative and chaotic struggle into a new synthesis. In my painting I use physical processes of dissolution, evaporation, heat and gravity which remind me of the alchemist's use of the elements of water, air, fire and earth. Humor is an important element of my work. Likewise humor and paradox were not unknown to the alchemist. The texts abound with cryptic riddles meant to befuddle the literal-minded and catalyze intuitive insight. Hermes, the Greek god of wisdom, was the patron of alchemists and also the trickster who could lead his followers on a search to find "fools gold". Anyone who embarks on a potentially quixotic search to find the elixir of immortality should have plenty of humor and humility to sustain themselves! The homunculus, a human-like creature nurtured in a glass vessel was reputed to have been created in the alchemical laboratory. In the novel "Frankenstein" the renegade doctor studies the writings of Paracelsus, the swiss alchemist, before creating his monster. I see the homunculus as a metaphor for modem technology with all its wonders and potential horrors. The series of "Homunculus" sculptures which utilize remnants of household appliances and found objects explores this theme in a whimsical fashion. The alchemist searched for the "gold of the philosophers"-philosophical wisdom. In their pursuit of nature's secrets they combined scientific experimentation with a mystical quest for illumination. Their holistic view of the universe viewed matter and consciousness as a continuum, anticipating recent developments in physics. Alchemy is the ancestor of modem science; perhaps there is something that can be learned from its legacy? I am inspired artistically by the beauty of the texts and their insights into the mysteries of creation. Hopefully my own fanciful creations convey something of the spirit of that tradition. (Nez, 1998) Title: 1998 Nez artist statement Author: Nez, David Year: 1975 My recent works on paper are inspired by alchemical manuscripts. The alchemists documented their labors in enigmatic texts in which chemical procedures, cosmology and myths are woven together into fantastic allegories. Similarly in my paintings I use imagery of birds, beasts, plants and minerals as symbols of the process of transformation, As an artist I view alchemy as a metaphor for the creative process in which there is progressive transformation and refinement of materials, imagery and ultimately consciousness. In alchemy and art alike the creative imagination is the vital agent of change. The alchemists described their labors as an "art". Like the alchemist I attempt to use physical processes as a mirror of inner experience. The materials become "transmuted" from their initially inert state through creative and chaotic struggle into a new synthesis. In my painting I use physical processes of dissolution, evaporation, heat and gravity which remind me of the alchemist's use of the elements of water, air, fire and earth. Humor is an important element of my work. Likewise humor and paradox were not unknown to the alchemist. The texts abound with cryptic riddles meant to befuddle the literal-minded and catalyze intuitive insight. Hermes, the Greek god of wisdom, was the patron of alchemists and also the trickster who could lead his followers on a search to find "fools gold". Anyone who embarks on a potentially quixotic search to find the elixir of immortality should have plenty of humor and humility to sustain themselves! The homunculus, a human-like creature nurtured in a glass vessel was reputed to have been created in the alchemical laboratory. In the novel "Frankenstein" the renegade doctor studies the writings of Paracelsus, the swiss alchemist, before creating his monster. I see the homunculus as a metaphor for modem technology with all its wonders and potential horrors. The series of "Homunculus" sculptures which utilize remnants of household appliances and found objects explores this theme in a whimsical fashion. The alchemist searched for the "gold of the philosophers"-philosophical wisdom. In their pursuit of nature's secrets they combined scientific experimentation with a mystical quest for illumination. Their holistic view of the universe viewed matter and consciousness as a continuum, anticipating recent developments in physics. Alchemy is the ancestor of modem science; perhaps there is something that can be learned from its legacy? I am inspired artistically by the beauty of the texts and their insights into the mysteries of creation. Hopefully my own fanciful creations convey something of the spirit of that tradition. (Nez, 1998) Close