Tag Archives: Sandpit

ULTRACEPT Sandpit Session: Computer Vision Based Human Motion Analysis for Healthcare

To aid and support the continued collaboration and knowledge exchange of the ULTRACEPT researchers, the consortium hosts online quarterly ‘Sandpit Sessions’. The aim of these sessions is to provide researchers an opportunity to share their work in an informal forum where they can raise and discuss issues and challenges in order to gain support and feedback from the group.

University of Lincoln (UoL) researcher Dr Miao Yu presented at the ULTRACEPT Sandpit Session on the 20th June, 2023 on the topic: Computer Vision Based Human Motion Analysis for Healthcare.

ULTRACEPT: Ultra-layered perception with brain-inspired information processing for vehicle collision avoidance

Computer Vision Based Human Motion Analysis for Healthcare

  • Date: 20 June 2023
  • Time: UK 11:00; Germany 12:00; Argentina 07:00; Malaysia 18:00; China 18:00; Japan 19:00.
  • Facilitators: Miao Yu, Senior Lecturer, University of Lincoln (presenter)

                                 Shigang Ye, Senior Lecturer, University of Lincoln (chair)

  • Location: MS Teams
  • Please note: We will be recording this session to share with those project researchers who are not able to attend, but this will only be shared within the consortium and will not be publicly accessible.
Sandpit Schedule
UK TimeItemPresenter/s
11:00 -11:05Arrival and welcomeShigang Yue
11:05 – 12:00Presentation Computer Vision based human motion analysis for healthcareMiao Yu
12:00 -12.25DiscussionAll attendees
12:25 -12:30Final comments Shigang Yue/Miao Yu

Dr Yu is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Computer Science in the University of Lincoln. He worked as a research associate for the research project “Signal Processing Solutions in a Networked Battlespace” (funded by the EPSRC) in the Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering Department, Loughborough University from 2013 to 2017. Prior to it, he obtained his PhD in the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Loughborough University with the PhD thesis title “Computer vision based techniques for fall detection with application towards assisted living”. Dr Miao’s research interests lie in developing algorithms in statistical signal processing, image/video processing, machine learning and data/knowledge modelling, with applications in objects detection and tracking, behaviour recognitions and abnormal detection for healthcare.

ULTRACEPT Sandpit Session: Memory Formation in Computational Brain Microcircuits

To aid and support the continued collaboration and knowledge exchange of the ULTRACEPT researchers, the consortium hosts online quarterly ‘Sandpit Sessions’. The aim of these sessions is to provide researchers an opportunity to share their work in an informal forum where they can raise and discuss issues and challenges in order to gain support and feedback from the group.

University of Lincoln (UoL) researcher Dr Vassilis Cutsuridis presented at the ULTRACEPT Sandpit Session on the 20th February, 2023 on the topic: Memory Formation in Computational Brain Microcircuits.

ULTRACEPT: Ultra-layered perception with brain-inspired information processing for vehicle collision avoidance

Memory Formation in Computational Brain Microcircuits

  • Date: 20 February 2023
  • Time: UK 10:30; Germany 11:30; Argentina 07:30; Malaysia 18:30; China 18:30; Japan 19:30.
  • Facilitators: Vassilis Cutsuridis, Senior Lecturer, University of Lincoln (presenter), Shigang Yu, Senior Lecturer, University of Lincoln (chair)
  • Location: MS Teams
Sandpit Schedule
UK TimeItemPresenter/s
10:00 -10:05Arrival and welcomeShigang Yue
10:05 – 11:00Presentation Associative Memory in Brain Microcircuits: Lessons from Engineering and NeuroscienceVassilis Cutsuridis
11:00 -11.25DiscussionAll attendees
11:25 -11:30Final comments Shigang Yue/Vassilis Cutsuridis

Dr Cutsuridis is a Senior Lecturer in Computer Science, and a member of the Machine Learning research group at the University of Lincoln. He holds a BSc and MSc in Maths and Physics, an MA in Cognitive and Neural Systems, and a PhD in Computational Neuroscience. He is an active member of UK’s Applied Vision Association Society, the British Oculomotor Group, EU’s Convergent Science Network of Bio-mimetic and Bio-hybrid Systems since 2010 and of European Network for the Advancement of Artificial Cognitive Systems.

Dr Cutsuridis’ research spans brain inspired artificial intelligence including neural computation, cognitive modelling, bio-machine learning and biosignal analysis. He has developed large scale connectivity-based models of Parkinson’s disease, biomimetic learning rules and neural network models of learning and memory, deep neurocognitive models of perception-cognition-action in robots, and behavioural models of eye movements in neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington’s disease, schizophrenia, and OCD. With collaborators he has published numerous articles in machine learning applications in epilepsy, agriculture, structural biology, biomedical text mining, and eye movements. He has published more than 100 articles in journals and conferences. He is associate editor of Springer-Nature’s Cognitive Computation journal and the Frontiers in Psychology section Cognitive Science. He has edited the popular “Hippocampal Microcircuits: A Computational Modeller’s Resource Book” and the ‘Multiscale Models of Brain Disorders” Springer-Nature books. 

Further information can be found at http://vassiliscutsuridis.org/

ULTRACEPT Sandpit: Looming Detection: A unique instance of motion detection, from Neural Computing to Drone Applications

To aid and support the continued collaboration and knowledge exchange of the ULTRACEPT researchers, the consortium hosts online quarterly ‘Sandpit Sessions’. The aim of these sessions is to provide researchers an opportunity to share their work in an informal forum where they can raise and discuss issues and challenges in order to gain support and feedback from the group.

Researcher Dr Jiannan Zhao presented at an ULTRACEPT Sandpit Session on the 26th September, 2022. Dr Zhao undertook his PhD at the University of Lincoln, during which, he carried out a 12 month ULTRACEPT secondment to Guangzhou University (GZHU). Dr Zhao is now working at Guangxi University, China.

ULTRACEPT Sandpit 6

The theme of the sandpit session was Looming Detection: A unique instance of motion detection, from Neural Computing to Drone Applications. 24 attendees across the ULTRACEPT consortium participated.

ULTRACEPT Sandpit 6

ULTRACEPT: Ultra-layered perception with brain-inspired information processing for vehicle collision avoidance

Looming Detection: A unique instance of motion detection, from Neural Computing to Drone Applications

  • Date: Monday, 26th September 2022
  • Time: UK 11:00; China 18:00; Germany 12:00; Argentina 07:00; Malaysia 18:00; Japan 19:00.
  • Facilitators:
    • Jiannan Zhao, Presenter, Guangxi University, CN
    • Shigang Yue, University of Lincoln, UK (chair)
Sandpit Schedule
UK Time Item Presenter/s
11:00-11:05 Arrival and welcome Shigang
11:05-12:05 Looming Detection: A unique instance of motion detection, from Neural Computing to Drone Applications Jiannan
12:05-12:35 Group discussion All
12:35-12:45 Final comments & volunteer for a facilitator for the next session. Shigang

ULTRACEPT Sandpit 6

Machine Learning: Methods and Applications

To aid and support the continued collaboration and knowledge exchange of the ULTRACEPT researchers, the consortium hosts online quarterly ‘Sandpit Sessions’. The aim of these sessions is to provide researchers an opportunity to share their work in an informal forum where they can raise and discuss issues and challenges in order to gain support and feedback from the group.

The project group’s fifth sandpit session was hosted online by ULTRACEPT partner Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Muenster (WWU) on the 17th of May 2022. The session also hosted a guest speaker from Chaoyang University of Technology (CYUT) in Taiwan. The session was chaired by Prof. Xiaoyi Jiang (WWU) and featured three speakers: Andreas Nienkötter, Postdoc, WWU; Jiaqi Zhang, PhD student, WWU; and Vani Saravanarajan, PhD student, CYUT. The theme of the session was ‘Machine Learning: Methods and Applications’.

Sandpit Session 5: Machine Learning: Methods and Applications

  • Date: 17th May 2022
  • Time: UK 11:00; China 18:00; Germany 12:00; Argentina 07:00; Malaysia 18:00; Japan 19:00.
  • Facilitators:
    • Andreas Nienkötter, Postdoc, WWU, Germany
    • Jiaqi Zhang, PhD student, WWU, Germany
    • Vani Saravanarajan, PhD student, CYUT, Taiwan
    • Xiaoyi Jiang, WWU, Germany (chair)
  • Location: MS Teams
Sandpit Schedule
UK Time Item Presenter/s
11:00-11:05 Arrival and welcome Xiaoyi Jiang
11:05-11:35 Generalized median computation for consensus learning

This talk presents the generalized median computation that is a particular form of consensus learning based on a mathematical optimization framework. Computational algorithms and potential applications will be briefly presented.

Andreas Nienkötter
11:35-12:00 Soft min/max and median estimation

This talk presents different ways of soft estimation of minimum, maximum, and median operator. Such soft estimation makes the computation differentiable and is thus helpful in many applications.

Jiaqi Zhang
12:00-12:25 Car crash detection using ensemble and transfer learning neural networks

This talk presents different types of neural networks and the ways to combine them for multi-class car crash detection.  The neural networks are trained with a small dataset and can be extended to many useful applications.

Vani Saravanarajan
12:25-12:30 Final comments Xiaoyi Jiang
Next session

Our next sandpit session will be held in September 2022 and hosted by Jiannan Zhao. More details will be provided closer to the time.

Andreas Nienkötter presented his talk on ‘Generalized median computation for consensus learning’.

Sandpit Session 5: Machine Learning: Methods and Applications
Andreas Nienkötter presents Generalized median computation for consensus learning

Jiaqi Zhang presented her talk on ‘Soft min/max and median estimation’.

Sandpit Session 5: Machine Learning: Methods and Applications
Jiaqi Zhang presents Soft min/max and median estimation

Vani Saravanarajan presented her talk on ‘Car crash detection using ensemble and transfer learning neural networks’.

Sandpit Session 5: Machine Learning: Methods and Applications
Vani Saravanarajan presents Car crash detection using ensemble and transfer learning neural networks

UBA Host Sandpit session: Optic flow analysis: From the circuit to the behaviour and back

To aid and support the continued collaboration and knowledge exchange of the ULTRACEPT researchers, the consortium hosts online quarterly ‘Sandpit Sessions’. The aim of these sessions is to provide researchers an opportunity to share their work in an informal forum where they can raise and discuss issues and challenges in order to gain support and feedback from the group.

The project group’s fourth sandpit session was hosted online by ULTRACEPT partner the University of Buenos Aires (UBA-CONICET) on the 23rd July 2021. The session was facilitated by PhD student Yair Barnatan, and Dr Julieta Sztarker, Independent researcher (chair). The theme of the session was ‘Optic flow analysis: From the circuit to the behaviour and back’.

Presentation by Dr Julieta Sztarker
Presentation by Dr Julieta Sztarker

Presentation by Dr Julieta Sztarker
Presentation by Dr Julieta Sztarker

Sandpit Session 4: Optic flow analysis: From the circuit to the behaviour and back

  • Date: Friday, 23rd July 2021
  • Time: UK 11:00; China 18:00; Germany 12:00; Argentina 07:00; Malaysia 18:00; Japan 19:00.
  • Facilitators: Yair Barnatan, PhD student, organisation UBA-CONICET, Julieta Sztarker, Independent researcher UBA-CONICET (chair)
  • Location: MS Teams
Sandpit Schedule
UK Time Item Presenter/s
11:00-11:05 Arrival and welcome Julieta Sztarker
11:05-11:35 Optic flow analysis: From the circuit to the behaviour and back

 

In this talk I will summarise what we know about the optomotor responses performed by flies and crabs in different conditions (monocular, binocular stimulation) and using different directions of stimulation. I will present the underlying neuronal circuit that has been proposed for flies based on a long line of electrophysiological recordings of directional neurons from the lobula plate and other cells and behavioural studies. I will present results on the locomotive optomotor responses in crabs that respond preferably to stimulation in a unique direction under monocular conditions but not in binocular ones and show what we know so far about the type of directional cells found in crabs.

Julieta Sztarker
11:35-12:00 Out of the oven: recent results using simultaneous recordings of locomotive and eye saccades in crabs

I will present our latest data measuring simultaneously the locomotive and eye saccades of crabs in response to panoramic stimulus moving in different directions and conditions (monocular, binocular). We found an apparent correlation between the variables obtained in some conditions of stimulation but not in others.

Yair Barnatan
12:00-12:25 Group discussion about the possibility of modelling the underlying circuit based on behavioural data. Julieta Sztarker
12:25-12:30 Final comments & volunteer for a facilitator for the next session

We are planning our next sandpit session in 2 months’ time (September).

Julieta Sztarker

Presentation by Yair Barnatan
Presentation by Yair Barnatan

Presentation by Yair Barnatan
Presentation by Yair Barnatan

What we can learn from insects: Unveiling insect navigation mechanism

To aid and support the continued collaboration and knowledge exchange of the ULTRACEPT researchers, the consortium hosts online quarterly ‘Sandpit Sessions’. The aim of these sessions is to provide researchers an opportunity to share their work in an informal forum where they can raise and discuss issues and challenges in order to gain support and feedback from the group.

Researchers Xuelong Sun, a student of the University of Lincoln, and Dr Qingbing Fu, Postdoc at Guangzhou University, recently hosted an online Sandpit Session on the 14h May 2021. The theme of the session was ‘What we can learn from insect: Unveil insect navigation mechanism’.

What can we learn from insect: Unveil insect navigation mechanism

Sandpit Session 3:  What we can learn from insects: Unveil insect navigation mechanism

  • Date: Friday, 14th May 2021
  • Time: UK 10:00; China 17:00; Germany 11:00; Argentina 06:00; Malaysia 17:00; Japan 18:00.
  • Facilitators: Xuelong Sun, PhD student, University of Lincoln, Qinbing Fu, Postdoc, Guangzhou University (chair)
  • Location: MS Teams
Sandpit Schedule
UK Time Item Presenters
10:00-10:05 Arrival and welcome Qinbing Fu,

Xuelong Sun

10:05-10:35 Insect navigation

Many insects are highly capable navigators, with abilities that rival those of mammals and other vertebrates. I will give a review of insect navigation from the following three aspects: 1) the rich array of insect navigation behaviours, 2) the known brain regions and neuropils related to navigation tasks and 3) computation models aiming to unravel the neural mechanism of insect navigation. Then, from the computation model point of view, I will report our work filling the current gaps of understanding insect navigation especially the visual navigation and optimal cue integration. Thus, the potentially useful role that computation model plays in understanding biology system will be demonstrated, which closes this session and opens the topic to be discussed in next session.

Xuelong Sun
10:35-11:10 Group discussion about the session topic:

What’s the role of computation model and biorobotics in understanding biology system? 

A group discussion where attendees can raise questions and discuss the topic of research and potential cooperation that was presented.

Facilitated by Qinbing Fu and Xuelong Sun
11.10-11.25 Open forum discussion

An opportunity for attendees to ask the group for advice regarding any challenges they are facing with their own research.

Facilitated by Qinbing Fu and Xuelong Sun
11:25-11:30 Final comments & volunteer for a facilitator for the next session

We are planning our next sandpit session for July 2021.

Xuelong Sun

What can we learn from insect: Unveil insect navigation mechanism

You can learn more about Xuelong’s research on his post about his 12 month ULTRACEPT secondment to Guangzhou University.

Universität Hamburg Hosts ULTRACEPT Sandpit Session – Robotic Grasping based on Deep Learning: Towards the Robust Perception

To aid and support the continued collaboration and knowledge exchange of the ULTRACEPT researchers, the consortium hosts online quarterly ‘Sandpit Sessions’. The aim of these sessions is to provide researchers an opportunity to share their work in an informal forum where they can raise and discuss issues and challenges in order to gain support and feedback from the group.

Researchers Hongzhuo Liang and Shuang Li from the Universität Hamburg (UHAM) recently hosted a Sandpit Session on the 5th March 2021. The theme of the session was Robotic Grasping based on Deep Learning: Towards the Robust Perception. 28 attendees across the consortium participated.

Universität Hamburg Hosts ULTRACEPT Sandpit Session - Robotic Grasping based on Deep Learning: Towards the Robust Perception
Hongzhuo Liang presenting at the ULTRACEPT Sandpit Session

Sandpit Session 2: Robotic Grasping based on Deep Learning: Towards the Robust Perception

  • Date: Friday, 5th March 2021
  • Time: UK 10:00; China 18:00; Germany 11:00; Argentina 07:00; Malaysia 18:00; Japan 19:00.
  • Facilitators: Hongzhuo Liang, PhD student, Universität Hamburg and Shuang Li, PhD student, Universität Hamburg
  • Location: MS Teams
Sandpit Schedule
UK Time Item Presenters
10:00-10:05 Arrival and welcome

 

Shuang Li
10:05-10:35 Robotic Grasping based on Deep Learning: Towards the Robust Perception

Autonomous robotic grasping is a challenging task, which includes many respects of research areas, e.g., perception, robotics, and psychology. In this talk, I will review the state of art in robotic grasping. Then, I will report the current working progress of my grasping work: from two-finger grasping to multi-finger grasping based on deep learning methods. This session will encourage an open-minded way for facilitating quick idea-exchanging.

Hongzhuo Liang
10:35-11:10 Group discussion about the session topic

How do bio-inspired methods help to design a better robotic grasping agent?

A group discussion where attendees can raise questions and discuss the topic of research and potential cooperation that was presented.

Facilitated by Shuang Li
11.10-11.25 Open forum discussion

An opportunity for attendees to ask the group for advice regarding any challenges they are facing with their own research.

Facilitated by Shuang Li

 

11:25-11:30 Final comments & volunteer for a facilitator for the next session

We are planning our next sandpit session for May 2021.

Shuang Li

Universität Hamburg Hosts ULTRACEPT Sandpit Session - Robotic Grasping based on Deep Learning: Towards the Robust Perception
Hongzhuo Liang and Shuang Li discussing their research ideas with the attendees

More detailed information about Hongshuo Liang’s research publications and code can be found on his website.

To find out more about the fascinating work being carried out by the team at UHAM, check out their YouTube channel TAMS UHAM.

ULTRACEPT Consortium Holds Its First Sand Pit Session

To aid and support the continued collaboration and knowledge exchange of the ULTRACEPT researchers, the consortium has commenced online quarterly ‘Sandpit Sessions’. The aim of these sessions is to provide researchers an opportunity to share their work in an informal forum where they can raise and discuss issues and challenges in order to gain support and feedback from the group.

As the session is facilitated by a researcher, it also provides them with a professional development opportunity to gain experience in facilitating an international group workshop.

The first session was held 27th November 2020 and hosted on MS Teams and facilitated by UoL researcher Dr Qinbing Fu. Dr Fu’s session focused on Past, Present, and Future Modelling on Bio-Inspired Collision Detection Visual Systems: Towards the Robust Perception. 23 attendees across the consortium participated.

Dr Fu presents at ULTRACEPT's First Sand Pit Session
Dr Fu presents at ULTRACEPT’s First Sand Pit Session

Sandpit Session 1: Past, Present, and Future Modelling on Bio-Inspired Collision Detection Visual Systems: Towards the Robust Perception

  • Date: Friday, 27th November 2020
  • Time: UK 10:00; China 18:00; Germany 11:00; Argentina 07:00; Malaysia 18:00; Japan 19:00.
  • Facilitator: Dr Qinbing Fu, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Lincoln
  • Location: MS Teams
Sandpit Schedule
UK Time Item Presenters
10:00-10:05 Arrival and welcome

 

Qinbing Fu
10:05-10:35 Past, Present, and Future Modelling on Bio-Inspired Collision Detection Visual Systems: Towards the Robust Perception

In this talk, I report on past, present, and future modelling on bio-inspired collision detection visual systems towards the robust perception in real-world challenging scenarios, from my perspective. The emphasis of this talk is firstly laid on a brief review on the development of such visual systems in the recent decades, specifically the typical insect-inspired collision sensing visual systems. After that, I will articulate the current challenges, to discuss with you promising solutions and worthwhile future effort on improving the modelling, consolidating the link between neuroscience and computational modelling. This session will encourage an open-minded way for facilitating quick idea-exchanging.

Qinbing Fu
10:35-11:00 Group discussion about the session topic

A group discussion where attendees can raise questions and discuss the topic of research that was presented.

Facilitated by Qinbing Fu
11.00-11.25 Open forum discussion

An opportunity for attendees to ask the group for advice regarding any challenges they are facing with their own research.

Facilitated by Qinbing Fu

 

11:25-11:30 Final comments & volunteer for a facilitator for the next session

We are planning our next sandpit session for January 2021.

Qinbing Fu

The session was scheduled for 1.5 hours and focused on the topic ‘Past, Present, and Future Modelling on Bio-Inspired Collision Detection Visual Systems: Towards the Robust Perception’.

Dr Fu presents at ULTRACEPT's First Sand Pit Session
Dr Fu presents at ULTRACEPT’s First Sand Pit Session

Following Dr Fu’s presentation was a group discussion on the subject matter then and open forum discussion which provided attendees an opportunity for Q&A.

These Sandpit sessions enable the consortium members to continue their collaborative working and knowledge exchange, particularly during the COVID-19 travel restrictions where all activities have needed to be virtual.