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Right to explanation

In the regulation of algorithms, particularly artificial intelligence and its subfield of machine learning, a right to [an] explanation is a right to be given an explanation for an output of the algorithm. Such rights primarily refer to individual rights to be given an explanation for decisions that significantly affect an individual, particularly legally or financially. For example, a person who applies for a loan and is denied may ask for an explanation, which could be "Credit bureau X reports that you declared bankruptcy last year; this is the main factor in considering you too likely to default, and thus we will not give you the loan you applied for." Some such legal rights already exist, while the scope of a general "right to explanation" is a matter of ongoing debate. There have been arguments made that a "social right to explanation" is a crucial foundation for an information society, particularly as the institutions of that society will need to use digital technologies, artificial intelligence, machine learning. In other words, that the related automated decision making systems that use explainability would be more trustworthy and transparent. Without this right, which could be constituted both legally and through professional standards, the public will be left without much recourse to challenge the decisions of automated systems. == Examples == === Credit scoring in the United States === Under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (Regulation B of the Code of Federal Regulations), Title 12, Chapter X, Part 1002, §1002.9, creditors are required to notify applicants who are denied credit with specific reasons for the detail. As detailed in §1002.9(b)(2): (2) Statement of specific reasons. The statement of reasons for adverse action required by paragraph (a)(2)(i) of this section must be specific and indicate the principal reason(s) for the adverse action. Statements that the adverse action was based on the creditor's internal standards or policies or that the applicant, joint applicant, or similar party failed to achieve a qualifying score on the creditor's credit scoring system are insufficient. The official interpretation of this section details what types of statements are acceptable. Creditors comply with this regulation by providing a list of reasons (generally at most 4, per interpretation of regulations), consisting of a numeric reason code (as identifier) and an associated explanation, identifying the main factors affecting a credit score. An example might be: 32: Balances on bankcard or revolving accounts too high compared to credit limits === European Union === The European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR, enacted 2016, taking effect 2018) extends the automated decision-making rights in the 1995 Data Protection Directive to provide a legally disputed form of a right to an explanation, stated as such in Recital 71: "[the data subject should have] the right ... to obtain an explanation of the decision reached". In full: The data subject should have the right not to be subject to a decision, which may include a measure, evaluating personal aspects relating to him or her which is based solely on automated processing and which produces legal effects concerning him or her or similarly significantly affects him or her, such as automatic refusal of an online credit application or e-recruiting practices without any human intervention. ... In any case, such processing should be subject to suitable safeguards, which should include specific information to the data subject and the right to obtain human intervention, to express his or her point of view, to obtain an explanation of the decision reached after such assessment and to challenge the decision. However, the extent to which the regulations themselves provide a "right to explanation" is heavily debated. There are two main strands of criticism. There are significant legal issues with the right as found in Article 22 — as recitals are not binding, and the right to an explanation is not mentioned in the binding articles of the text, having been removed during the legislative process. In addition, there are significant restrictions on the types of automated decisions that are covered — which must be both "solely" based on automated processing, and have legal or similarly significant effects — which significantly limits the range of automated systems and decisions to which the right would apply. In particular, the right is unlikely to apply in many of the cases of algorithmic controversy that have been picked up in the media. The UK has also recently amended its implementation of Article 22. A second potential source of such a right has been pointed to in Article 15, the "right of access by the data subject". This restates a similar provision from the 1995 Data Protection Directive, allowing the data subject access to "meaningful information about the logic involved" in the same significant, solely automated decision-making, found in Article 22. Yet this too suffers from alleged challenges that relate to the timing of when this right can be drawn upon, as well as practical challenges that mean it may not be binding in many cases of public concern. Other EU legislative instruments contain explanation rights. The European Union's Artificial Intelligence Act provides in Article 86 a "[r]ight to explanation of individual decision-making" of certain high risk systems which produce significant, adverse effects to an individual's health, safety or fundamental rights. The right provides for "clear and meaningful explanations of the role of the AI system in the decision-making procedure and the main elements of the decision taken", although only applies to the extent other law does not provide such a right. The Digital Services Act in Article 27, and the Platform to Business Regulation in Article 5, both contain rights to have the main parameters of certain recommender systems to be made clear, although these provisions have been criticised as not matching the way that such systems work. The Platform Work Directive, which provides for regulation of automation in gig economy work as an extension of data protection law, further contains explanation provisions in Article 11, using the specific language of "explanation" in a binding article rather than a recital as is the case in the GDPR. Scholars note that remains uncertainty as to whether these provisions imply sufficiently tailored explanation in practice which will need to be resolved by courts. === France === In France the 2016 Loi pour une République numérique (Digital Republic Act or loi numérique) amends the country's administrative code to introduce a new provision for the explanation of decisions made by public sector bodies about individuals. It notes that where there is "a decision taken on the basis of an algorithmic treatment", the rules that define that treatment and its "principal characteristics" must be communicated to the citizen upon request, where there is not an exclusion (e.g. for national security or defence). These should include the following: the degree and the mode of contribution of the algorithmic processing to the decision- making; the data processed and its source; the treatment parameters, and where appropriate, their weighting, applied to the situation of the person concerned; the operations carried out by the treatment. Scholars have noted that this right, while limited to administrative decisions, goes beyond the GDPR right to explicitly apply to decision support rather than decisions "solely" based on automated processing, as well as provides a framework for explaining specific decisions. Indeed, the GDPR automated decision-making rights in the European Union, one of the places a "right to an explanation" has been sought within, find their origins in French law in the late 1970s. == Criticism == Some argue that a "right to explanation" is at best unnecessary, at worst harmful, and threatens to stifle innovation. Specific criticisms include: favoring human decisions over machine decisions, being redundant with existing laws, and focusing on process over outcome. Authors of study "Slave to the Algorithm? Why a 'Right to an Explanation' Is Probably Not the Remedy You Are Looking For" Lilian Edwards and Michael Veale argue that a right to explanation is not the solution to harms caused to stakeholders by algorithmic decisions. They also state that the right of explanation in the GDPR is narrowly defined, and is not compatible with how modern machine learning technologies are being developed. With these limitations, defining transparency within the context of algorithmic accountability remains a problem. For example, providing the source code of algorithms may not be sufficient and may create other problems in terms of privacy disclosures and the gaming of technical systems. To mitigate this issue, Edwards and Veale argue that an auditing system could be more effective, to allow auditors to loo
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Shearlet

In applied mathematical analysis, shearlets are a multiscale framework which allows efficient encoding of anisotropic features in multivariate problem classes. Originally, shearlets were introduced in 2006 for the analysis and sparse approximation of functions f ∈ L 2 ( R 2 ) {\displaystyle f\in L^{2}(\mathbb {R} ^{2})} . They are a natural extension of wavelets, to accommodate the fact that multivariate functions are typically governed by anisotropic features such as edges in images, since wavelets, as isotropic objects, are not capable of capturing such phenomena. Shearlets are constructed by parabolic scaling, shearing, and translation applied to a few generating functions. At fine scales, they are essentially supported within skinny and directional ridges following the parabolic scaling law, which reads length² ≈ width. Similar to wavelets, shearlets arise from the affine group and allow a unified treatment of the continuum and digital situation leading to faithful implementations. Although they do not constitute an orthonormal basis for L 2 ( R 2 ) {\displaystyle L^{2}(\mathbb {R} ^{2})} , they still form a frame allowing stable expansions of arbitrary functions f ∈ L 2 ( R 2 ) {\displaystyle f\in L^{2}(\mathbb {R} ^{2})} . One of the most important properties of shearlets is their ability to provide optimally sparse approximations (in the sense of optimality in ) for cartoon-like functions f {\displaystyle f} . In imaging sciences, cartoon-like functions serve as a model for anisotropic features and are compactly supported in [ 0 , 1 ] 2 {\displaystyle [0,1]^{2}} while being C 2 {\displaystyle C^{2}} apart from a closed piecewise C 2 {\displaystyle C^{2}} singularity curve with bounded curvature. The decay rate of the L 2 {\displaystyle L^{2}} -error of the N {\displaystyle N} -term shearlet approximation obtained by taking the N {\displaystyle N} largest coefficients from the shearlet expansion is in fact optimal up to a log-factor: ‖ f − f N ‖ L 2 2 ≤ C N − 2 ( log ⁡ N ) 3 , N → ∞ , {\displaystyle \|f-f_{N}\|_{L^{2}}^{2}\leq CN^{-2}(\log N)^{3},\quad N\to \infty ,} where the constant C {\displaystyle C} depends only on the maximum curvature of the singularity curve and the maximum magnitudes of f {\displaystyle f} , f ′ {\displaystyle f'} and f ″ . {\displaystyle f''.} This approximation rate significantly improves the best N {\displaystyle N} -term approximation rate of wavelets providing only O ( N − 1 ) {\displaystyle O(N^{-1})} for such class of functions. Shearlets are to date the only directional representation system that provides sparse approximation of anisotropic features while providing a unified treatment of the continuum and digital realm that allows faithful implementation. Extensions of shearlet systems to L 2 ( R d ) , d ≥ 2 {\displaystyle L^{2}(\mathbb {R} ^{d}),d\geq 2} are also available. A comprehensive presentation of the theory and applications of shearlets can be found in. == Definition == === Continuous shearlet systems === The construction of continuous shearlet systems is based on parabolic scaling matrices A a = [ a 0 0 a 1 / 2 ] , a > 0 {\displaystyle A_{a}={\begin{bmatrix}a&0\\0&a^{1/2}\end{bmatrix}},\quad a>0} as a means to change the resolution, on shear matrices S s = [ 1 s 0 1 ] , s ∈ R {\displaystyle S_{s}={\begin{bmatrix}1&s\\0&1\end{bmatrix}},\quad s\in \mathbb {R} } as a means to change the orientation, and finally on translations to change the positioning. In comparison to curvelets, shearlets use shearings instead of rotations, the advantage being that the shear operator S s {\displaystyle S_{s}} leaves the integer lattice invariant in case s ∈ Z {\displaystyle s\in \mathbb {Z} } , i.e., S s Z 2 ⊆ Z 2 . {\displaystyle S_{s}\mathbb {Z} ^{2}\subseteq \mathbb {Z} ^{2}.} This indeed allows a unified treatment of the continuum and digital realm, thereby guaranteeing a faithful digital implementation. For ψ ∈ L 2 ( R 2 ) {\displaystyle \psi \in L^{2}(\mathbb {R} ^{2})} the continuous shearlet system generated by ψ {\displaystyle \psi } is then defined as SH c o n t ⁡ ( ψ ) = { ψ a , s , t = a 3 / 4 ψ ( S s A a ( ⋅ − t ) ) ∣ a > 0 , s ∈ R , t ∈ R 2 } , {\displaystyle \operatorname {SH} _{\mathrm {cont} }(\psi )=\{\psi _{a,s,t}=a^{3/4}\psi (S_{s}A_{a}(\cdot -t))\mid a>0,s\in \mathbb {R} ,t\in \mathbb {R} ^{2}\},} and the corresponding continuous shearlet transform is given by the map f ↦ S H ψ f ( a , s , t ) = ⟨ f , ψ a , s , t ⟩ , f ∈ L 2 ( R 2 ) , ( a , s , t ) ∈ R > 0 × R × R 2 . {\displaystyle f\mapsto {\mathcal {SH}}_{\psi }f(a,s,t)=\langle f,\psi _{a,s,t}\rangle ,\quad f\in L^{2}(\mathbb {R} ^{2}),\quad (a,s,t)\in \mathbb {R} _{>0}\times \mathbb {R} \times \mathbb {R} ^{2}.} === Discrete shearlet systems === A discrete version of shearlet systems can be directly obtained from SH c o n t ⁡ ( ψ ) {\displaystyle \operatorname {SH} _{\mathrm {cont} }(\psi )} by discretizing the parameter set R > 0 × R × R 2 . {\displaystyle \mathbb {R} _{>0}\times \mathbb {R} \times \mathbb {R} ^{2}.} There are numerous approaches for this but the most popular one is given by { ( 2 j , k , A 2 j − 1 S k − 1 m ) ∣ j ∈ Z , k ∈ Z , m ∈ Z 2 } ⊆ R > 0 × R × R 2 . {\displaystyle \{(2^{j},k,A_{2^{j}}^{-1}S_{k}^{-1}m)\mid j\in \mathbb {Z} ,k\in \mathbb {Z} ,m\in \mathbb {Z} ^{2}\}\subseteq \mathbb {R} _{>0}\times \mathbb {R} \times \mathbb {R} ^{2}.} From this, the discrete shearlet system associated with the shearlet generator ψ {\displaystyle \psi } is defined by SH ⁡ ( ψ ) = { ψ j , k , m = 2 3 j / 4 ψ ( S k A 2 j ⋅ − m ) ∣ j ∈ Z , k ∈ Z , m ∈ Z 2 } , {\displaystyle \operatorname {SH} (\psi )=\{\psi _{j,k,m}=2^{3j/4}\psi (S_{k}A_{2^{j}}\cdot {}-m)\mid j\in \mathbb {Z} ,k\in \mathbb {Z} ,m\in \mathbb {Z} ^{2}\},} and the associated discrete shearlet transform is defined by f ↦ S H ψ f ( j , k , m ) = ⟨ f , ψ j , k , m ⟩ , f ∈ L 2 ( R 2 ) , ( j , k , m ) ∈ Z × Z × Z 2 . {\displaystyle f\mapsto {\mathcal {SH}}_{\psi }f(j,k,m)=\langle f,\psi _{j,k,m}\rangle ,\quad f\in L^{2}(\mathbb {R} ^{2}),\quad (j,k,m)\in \mathbb {Z} \times \mathbb {Z} \times \mathbb {Z} ^{2}.} == Examples == Let ψ 1 ∈ L 2 ( R ) {\displaystyle \psi _{1}\in L^{2}(\mathbb {R} )} be a function satisfying the discrete Calderón condition, i.e., ∑ j ∈ Z | ψ ^ 1 ( 2 − j ξ ) | 2 = 1 , for a.e. ξ ∈ R , {\displaystyle \sum _{j\in \mathbb {Z} }|{\hat {\psi }}_{1}(2^{-j}\xi )|^{2}=1,{\text{for a.e. }}\xi \in \mathbb {R} ,} with ψ ^ 1 ∈ C ∞ ( R ) {\displaystyle {\hat {\psi }}_{1}\in C^{\infty }(\mathbb {R} )} and supp ⁡ ψ ^ 1 ⊆ [ − 1 2 , − 1 16 ] ∪ [ 1 16 , 1 2 ] , {\displaystyle \operatorname {supp} {\hat {\psi }}_{1}\subseteq [-{\tfrac {1}{2}},-{\tfrac {1}{16}}]\cup [{\tfrac {1}{16}},{\tfrac {1}{2}}],} where ψ ^ 1 {\displaystyle {\hat {\psi }}_{1}} denotes the Fourier transform of ψ 1 . {\displaystyle \psi _{1}.} For instance, one can choose ψ 1 {\displaystyle \psi _{1}} to be a Meyer wavelet. Furthermore, let ψ 2 ∈ L 2 ( R ) {\displaystyle \psi _{2}\in L^{2}(\mathbb {R} )} be such that ψ ^ 2 ∈ C ∞ ( R ) , {\displaystyle {\hat {\psi }}_{2}\in C^{\infty }(\mathbb {R} ),} supp ⁡ ψ ^ 2 ⊆ [ − 1 , 1 ] {\displaystyle \operatorname {supp} {\hat {\psi }}_{2}\subseteq [-1,1]} and ∑ k = − 1 1 | ψ ^ 2 ( ξ + k ) | 2 = 1 , for a.e. ξ ∈ [ − 1 , 1 ] . {\displaystyle \sum _{k=-1}^{1}|{\hat {\psi }}_{2}(\xi +k)|^{2}=1,{\text{for a.e. }}\xi \in \left[-1,1\right].} One typically chooses ψ ^ 2 {\displaystyle {\hat {\psi }}_{2}} to be a smooth bump function. Then ψ ∈ L 2 ( R 2 ) {\displaystyle \psi \in L^{2}(\mathbb {R} ^{2})} given by ψ ^ ( ξ ) = ψ ^ 1 ( ξ 1 ) ψ ^ 2 ( ξ 2 ξ 1 ) , ξ = ( ξ 1 , ξ 2 ) ∈ R 2 , {\displaystyle {\hat {\psi }}(\xi )={\hat {\psi }}_{1}(\xi _{1}){\hat {\psi }}_{2}\left({\tfrac {\xi _{2}}{\xi _{1}}}\right),\quad \xi =(\xi _{1},\xi _{2})\in \mathbb {R} ^{2},} is called a classical shearlet. It can be shown that the corresponding discrete shearlet system SH ⁡ ( ψ ) {\displaystyle \operatorname {SH} (\psi )} constitutes a Parseval frame for L 2 ( R 2 ) {\displaystyle L^{2}(\mathbb {R} ^{2})} consisting of bandlimited functions. Another example are compactly supported shearlet systems, where a compactly supported function ψ ∈ L 2 ( R 2 ) {\displaystyle \psi \in L^{2}(\mathbb {R} ^{2})} can be chosen so that SH ⁡ ( ψ ) {\displaystyle \operatorname {SH} (\psi )} forms a frame for L 2 ( R 2 ) {\displaystyle L^{2}(\mathbb {R} ^{2})} . In this case, all shearlet elements in SH ⁡ ( ψ ) {\displaystyle \operatorname {SH} (\psi )} are compactly supported providing superior spatial localization compared to the classical shearlets, which are bandlimited. Although a compactly supported shearlet system does not generally form a Parseval frame, any function f ∈ L 2 ( R 2 ) {\displaystyle f\in L^{2}(\mathbb {R} ^{2})} can be represented by the shearlet expansion due to its frame property. == Cone-adapted shearlets == One drawback of shearlets defined as above is the directional bias of shearlet elements associated with large shearing parameters. This effect is already r
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Template matching

Template matching is a technique in digital image processing for finding small parts of an image which match a template image. It can be used for quality control in manufacturing, navigation of mobile robots, or edge detection in images. The main challenges in a template matching task are detection of occlusion, when a sought-after object is partly hidden in an image; detection of non-rigid transformations, when an object is distorted or imaged from different angles; sensitivity to illumination and background changes; background clutter; and scale changes. == Feature-based approach == The feature-based approach to template matching relies on the extraction of image features, such as shapes, textures, and colors, that match the target image or frame. This approach is usually achieved using neural networks and deep-learning classifiers such as VGG, AlexNet, and ResNet.Convolutional neural networks (CNNs), which many modern classifiers are based on, process an image by passing it through different hidden layers, producing a vector at each layer with classification information about the image. These vectors are extracted from the network and used as the features of the image. Feature extraction using deep neural networks, like CNNs, has proven extremely effective has become the standard in state-of-the-art template matching algorithms. This feature-based approach is often more robust than the template-based approach described below. As such, it has become the state-of-the-art method for template matching, as it can match templates with non-rigid and out-of-plane transformations, as well as high background clutter and illumination changes. == Template-based approach == For templates without strong features, or for when the bulk of a template image constitutes the matching image as a whole, a template-based approach may be effective. Since template-based matching may require sampling of a large number of data points, it is often desirable to reduce the number of sampling points by reducing the resolution of search and template images by the same factor before performing the operation on the resultant downsized images. This pre-processing method creates a multi-scale, or pyramid, representation of images, providing a reduced search window of data points within a search image so that the template does not have to be compared with every viable data point. Pyramid representations are a method of dimensionality reduction, a common aim of machine learning on data sets that suffer the curse of dimensionality. == Common challenges == In instances where the template may not provide a direct match, it may be useful to implement eigenspaces to create templates that detail the matching object under a number of different conditions, such as varying perspectives, illuminations, color contrasts, or object poses. For example, if an algorithm is looking for a face, its template eigenspaces may consist of images (i.e., templates) of faces in different positions to the camera, in different lighting conditions, or with different expressions (i.e., poses). It is also possible for a matching image to be obscured or occluded by an object. In these cases, it is unreasonable to provide a multitude of templates to cover each possible occlusion. For example, the search object may be a playing card, and in some of the search images, the card is obscured by the fingers of someone holding the card, or by another card on top of it, or by some other object in front of the camera. In cases where the object is malleable or poseable, motion becomes an additional problem, and problems involving both motion and occlusion become ambiguous. In these cases, one possible solution is to divide the template image into multiple sub-images and perform matching on each subdivision. == Deformable templates in computational anatomy == Template matching is a central tool in computational anatomy (CA). In this field, a deformable template model is used to model the space of human anatomies and their orbits under the group of diffeomorphisms, functions which smoothly deform an object. Template matching arises as an approach to finding the unknown diffeomorphism that acts on a template image to match the target image. Template matching algorithms in CA have come to be called large deformation diffeomorphic metric mappings (LDDMMs). Currently, there are LDDMM template matching algorithms for matching anatomical landmark points, curves, surfaces, volumes. == Template-based matching explained using cross correlation or sum of absolute differences == A basic method of template matching sometimes called "Linear Spatial Filtering" uses an image patch (i.e., the "template image" or "filter mask") tailored to a specific feature of search images to detect. This technique can be easily performed on grey images or edge images, where the additional variable of color is either not present or not relevant. Cross correlation techniques compare the similarities of the search and template images. Their outputs should be highest at places where the image structure matches the template structure, i.e., where large search image values get multiplied by large template image values. This method is normally implemented by first picking out a part of a search image to use as a template. Let S ( x , y ) {\displaystyle S(x,y)} represent the value of a search image pixel, where ( x , y ) {\displaystyle (x,y)} represents the coordinates of the pixel in the search image. For simplicity, assume pixel values are scalar, as in a greyscale image. Similarly, let T ( x t , y t ) {\textstyle T(x_{t},y_{t})} represent the value of a template pixel, where ( x t , y t ) {\textstyle (x_{t},y_{t})} represents the coordinates of the pixel in the template image. To apply the filter, simply move the center (or origin) of the template image over each point in the search image and calculate the sum of products, similar to a dot product, between the pixel values in the search and template images over the whole area spanned by the template. More formally, if ( 0 , 0 ) {\displaystyle (0,0)} is the center (or origin) of the template image, then the cross correlation T ⋆ S {\displaystyle T\star S} at each point ( x , y ) {\displaystyle (x,y)} in the search image can be computed as: ( T ⋆ S ) ( x , y ) = ∑ ( x t , y t ) ∈ T T ( x t , y t ) ⋅ S ( x t + x , y t + y ) {\displaystyle (T\star S)(x,y)=\sum _{(x_{t},y_{t})\in T}T(x_{t},y_{t})\cdot S(x_{t}+x,y_{t}+y)} For convenience, T {\displaystyle T} denotes both the pixel values of the template image as well as its domain, the bounds of the template. Note that all possible positions of the template with respect to the search image are considered. Since cross correlation values are greatest when the values of the search and template pixels align, the best matching position ( x m , y m ) {\displaystyle (x_{m},y_{m})} corresponds to the maximum value of T ⋆ S {\displaystyle T\star S} over S {\displaystyle S} . Another way to handle translation problems on images using template matching is to compare the intensities of the pixels, using the sum of absolute differences (SAD) measure. To formulate this, let I S ( x s , y s ) {\displaystyle I_{S}(x_{s},y_{s})} and I T ( x t , y t ) {\displaystyle I_{T}(x_{t},y_{t})} denote the light intensity of pixels in the search and template images with coordinates ( x s , y s ) {\displaystyle (x_{s},y_{s})} and ( x t , y t ) {\displaystyle (x_{t},y_{t})} , respectively. Then by moving the center (or origin) of the template to a point ( x , y ) {\displaystyle (x,y)} in the search image, as before, the sum of absolute differences between the template and search pixel intensities at that point is: S A D ( x , y ) = ∑ ( x t , y t ) ∈ T | I T ( x t , y t ) − I S ( x t + x , y t + y ) | {\displaystyle SAD(x,y)=\sum _{(x_{t},y_{t})\in T}\left\vert I_{T}(x_{t},y_{t})-I_{S}(x_{t}+x,y_{t}+y)\right\vert } With this measure, the lowest SAD gives the best position for the template, rather than the greatest as with cross correlation. SAD tends to be relatively simple to implement and understand, but it also tends to be relatively slow to execute. A simple C++ implementation of SAD template matching is given below. == Implementation == In this simple implementation, it is assumed that the above described method is applied on grey images: This is why Grey is used as pixel intensity. The final position in this implementation gives the top left location for where the template image best matches the search image. One way to perform template matching on color images is to decompose the pixels into their color components and measure the quality of match between the color template and search image using the sum of the SAD computed for each color separately. == Speeding up the process == In the past, this type of spatial filtering was normally only used in dedicated hardware solutions because of the computational complexity of the operation, however we can lessen this complexity b
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Autonomous things

Autonomous things, abbreviated AuT, or the Internet of autonomous things, abbreviated as IoAT, is an emerging term for the technological developments that are expected to bring computers into the physical environment as autonomous entities without human direction, freely moving and interacting with humans and other objects. Self-navigating drones are the first AuT technology in (limited) deployment. It is expected that the first mass-deployment of AuT technologies will be the autonomous car, generally expected to be available around 2020. Other currently expected AuT technologies include home robotics (e.g., machines that provide care for the elderly, infirm or young), and military robots (air, land or sea autonomous machines with information-collection or target-attack capabilities). AuT technologies share many common traits, which justify the common notation. They are all based on recent breakthroughs in the domains of (deep) machine learning and artificial intelligence. They all require extensive and prompt regulatory developments to specify the requirements from them and to license and manage their deployment (see the further reading below). And they all require unprecedented levels of safety (e.g., automobile safety) and security, to overcome concerns about the potential negative impact of the new technology. As an example, the autonomous car both addresses the main existing safety issues and creates new issues. It is expected to be much safer than existing vehicles, by eliminating the single most dangerous element – the driver. The US's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates 94 percent of US accidents were the result of human error and poor decision-making, including speeding and impaired driving, and the Center for Internet and Society at Stanford Law School claims that "Some ninety percent of motor vehicle crashes are caused at least in part by human error". So while safety standards like the ISO 26262 specify the required safety, there is still a burden on the industry to demonstrate acceptable safety. While car accidents claim every year 35,000 lives in the US, and 1.25 million worldwide, some believe that even "a car that's 10 times as safe, which means 3,500 people die on the roads each year [in the US alone]" would not be accepted by the public. The acceptable level may be closer to the current figures on aviation accidents and incidents, with under a thousand worldwide deaths in most years – three orders of magnitude lower than cars. This underscores the unprecedented nature of the safety requirements that will need to be met for cars, with similar levels of safety expected for other Autonomous Things.
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Adobe PhotoDeluxe

PhotoDeluxe was a consumer-oriented image editing software line published by Adobe Systems from 1996 until July 8, 2002. At that time it was replaced by Adobe's newly launched consumer-oriented image editing software Photoshop Elements. Adobe no longer provides technical support for the PhotoDeluxe software line. PhotoDeluxe had a range of image processing capabilities for the home photographer and image handler. These included removing red-eye, cropping, and adjusting brightness, contrast, and sharpness. It also included software to extract pictures from an image scanner. Among the functionality included was the ability to dynamically resize photos and export them in a wide range of formats. It also had a range of printing options including printing multiple copies of an image on the same page. It was often bundled free with Epson scanners or as free software with new computers. == Features == Despite the critical concerns regarding the quality of the setup, Photo Deluxe supports layering, blurs, sharpening, cloning, gradient fills, color and background switches, color variations, resizing options, and many other features. Another drawback of PhotoDeluxe was that it was designed for Mac computers, so working on Windows PC was a problem for those who were unable to customize their preferences. == Versions == === Adobe PhotoDeluxe 1.0 === The first version was released in 1996 for Windows and Macintosh computers. In one year, it sold over one million copies. === Adobe PhotoDeluxe 2.0 === The new version was released in 1997 and had added features such as a Clone Tool, red-eye removal, and sample templates for making posters, cards, and calendars. It also had new special effect features. === Adobe PhotoDeluxe 3.0 === The 3rd version was released in 1998. The new features included customizable clipart settings, the ability to import photos on the web, enhanced repair activities following Guided Activities, and Adobe Connectables to add new activities. === Adobe PhotoDeluxe Home Edition (4.0) === Version 4.0 was created by the makers of Photoshop. It had advanced abilities such as tools to add animation, voice, and music to a picture. It also had features to restore photos to their original position. == History == Adobe PhotoDeluxe 1.0 was released in 1996 for Macintosh computers, initially retailing for an MSRP of $49. The software did quite well, reportedly selling over a million copies by February of the next year, primarily due to bundles with companies like Apple and Hewlett-Packard. PhotoDeluxe was primarily advertised to consumers as a way to do basic photo manipulation, such as cropping and rotating images, or creating simple cards and calendars. PhotoDeluxe 2.0 was released in 1997, and was the last version of PhotoDeluxe that Adobe made that worked on Macs. PhotoDeluxe 2.0 became the "number one selling consumer photo-editing software product in the world." PhotoDeluxe 3.0 was released in 1998, where it was rebranded as "3.0 Home Edition", as Adobe released PhotoDeluxe Business Edition later that year for a higher price. PhotoDeluxe Home Edition, unofficially called PhotoDeluxe 4.0, was released in 1999 and was the last version of PhotoDeluxe to be released. Adobe officially cancelled PhotoDeluxe on July 8, 2002, citing the presence of Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, with support being officially cancelled in mid-2003. No version of PhotoDeluxe is compatible with Windows 10, rendering the program obsolete. == Pricing == All home versions of PhotoDeluxe retailed for an MSRP of $49. PhotoDeluxe 2.0 and onwards allowed users to upgrade from a previous version of PhotoDeluxe or a competing piece of graphics software for $39. Additionally PhotoDeluxe Business Edition allowed a similar deal, allowing users to upgrade from other versions of PhotoDeluxe or a competing software for $59, instead of its normal price of $99. Adobe also offered a bundle allowing users of 1.0 or 2.0 to get 3.0 and Business Edition for $79.
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DexNet

Dex-net is a robotic. It uses a Grasp Quality Convolutional Neural Network to learn how to grasp unusually shaped objects. == History == Dex-net was developed by University of California, Berkeley professor Ken Goldberg and graduate student Jeff Mahler. == Design == Dex-net includes a high-resolution 3-D sensor and two arms, each controlled by a different neural network. One arm is equipped with a conventional robot gripper and another with a suction system. The robot’s software scans an object and then asks both neural networks to decide, on the fly, whether to grab or suck a particular object. It runs on an off-the-shelf industrial machine made by Swiss robotics company ABB. The software learns by attempting to pick up objects in a virtual environment. Dex-Net can generalize from an object it has seen before to a new one. The robot can "nudge" such virtual objects to examine if it is unsure how to grasp them. The trial data set was 6.7 million point clouds, grasps and analytic grasp metrics generated from thousands of 3D models. Grasps are defined as a gripper's planar position, angle and depth relative to an RGB-D sensor. == Mean picks per hour == A metric called mean picks per hour (MPPH) is calculated by multiplying the average time per pick and the average probability of success for a specific set of objects. The new metric allows labs working on picking robots to compare their results. Humans are capable of between 400 and 600 MPPH. In a contest organized by Amazon recently, the best robots were capable of between 70 and 95. Dex-net has achieved 200 to 300.
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Comparison of video editing software

This is a comparison of non-linear video editing software applications. See also a more complete list of video editing software. == General information == This table gives basic general information about the different editors: === Active === === Discontinued / Inactive === ==== Definition ==== professional: used for full length Hollywood movies; professional (small): mainly used for paid commercials, short films or podcasts/YouTube channels; prosumer: Mainly targeting private use, anything that can do more than just trimming a film; basic: trimming a film; == System requirements == This table lists the operating systems that different editors can run on without emulation, as well as other system requirements. Note that minimum system requirements are listed; some features (like High Definition support) may be unavailable with these specifications. "Unix" includes the similar Linux, BSD and Unix-like operating systems. == High definition/High resolution import == The table below indicates the ability of each program to import various High Definition video or High resolution video formats for editing. == Feature set == == Output options == Please note that recording to Blu-ray does not imply 1080@50p/60p . Most only support up to 1080i 25/30 frames per second recording. Also not all formats can be output.
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CinePlayer

CinePlayer is a software based media player used to review Digital Cinema Packages (DCP) without the need for a digital cinema server by Doremi Labs. CinePlayer can play back any DCP, not just those created by Doremi Mastering products. In addition to playing DCPs, CinePlayer can also playback JPEG2000 image sequences and many popular multimedia file types. There are two versions of CinePlayer available, standard and Pro. The standard version supports playback of non-encrypted, 2D DCP's up to 2K resolution. The Pro version supports playback of encrypted, 2D or 3D DCP's with subtitles up to 4K resolution. == Supported formats == === Containers === AVI MOV MXF MPG TS WMV M2TS MTS MP4 MKV === Video codecs === JPEG2000 ProRes 422 DNxHD YUV Uncompressed 8-10 bits DIVX XVID MPEG4 AVC / H-264 VC-1 MPEG2 === Supported image sequences === BMP TIFF TGA DPX JPG J2C === Supported audio files === WAV MP3 WMA MP2
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Zoho Office Suite

Zoho Office Suite is an online office suite developed by Zoho Corporation. == History == Zoho Office Suite was launched in 2005 with a web-based word processor. Additional products, such as those for spreadsheets and presentations, were incorporated later into the suite. The applications are distributed as software as a service (SaaS). == Products == Zoho uses an open API for its Writer, Sheet, Show, Creator, Meeting, and Planner products. It also has plugins into Microsoft Word and Excel, an OpenOffice.org plugin, and a plugin for Firefox. Zoho Office Suite is free for individuals but offers a plan for teams, which includes Zoho WorkDrive, Zoho Workplace and other Zoho apps. In October 2009, Zoho integrated some of their applications with the Google Apps online suite.
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Resel

In image analysis, a resel (from resolution element) represents the actual spatial resolution in an image or a volumetric dataset. The number of resels in the image may be lower or equal to the number of pixel/voxels in the image. In an actual image the resels can vary across the image and indeed the local resolution can be expressed as "resels per pixel" (or "resels per voxel"). In functional neuroimaging analysis, an estimate of the number of resels together with random field theory is used in statistical inference. Keith Worsley has proposed an estimate for the number of resels/roughness. The word "resel" is related to the words "pixel", "texel", and "voxel". Waldo R. Tobler is probably among the first to use the word.
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Adobe After Effects

Adobe After Effects is a digital effects, motion graphics, and compositing application developed by Adobe Inc.; it is used for animation and in the post-production process of film making, video games and television production. Among other things, After Effects can be used for keying, tracking, compositing, and animation. It also functions as a very basic non-linear editor, audio editor, and media transcoder. In 2019, the program won an Academy Award for scientific and technical achievement. == History == After Effects was originally created by David Herbstman, David Simons, Daniel Wilk, David M. Cotter, and Russell Belfer at the Company of Science and Art in Providence, Rhode Island. The first two versions of the software, 1.0 (January 1993) and 1.1, were released there by the company. CoSA with After Effects was acquired by Aldus Corporation in July 1993, which in turn was acquired by Adobe in 1994. Adobe acquired PageMaker as well. Adobe's first new release of After Effects was version 3.0. == Third-party integrations == After Effects functionality can be extended through a variety of third-party integrations. The most common integrations are: plug-ins, scripts, and extensions. === Plug-ins === Plug-ins are predominantly written in C or C++ and extend the functionality of After Effects, allowing for more advanced features such as particle systems, physics engines, 3D effects, and the ability to bridge the gap between After Effects and another. === Scripts === After Effects Scripts are a series of commands written in both JavaScript and the ExtendScript language. After Effects Scripts, unlike plug-ins, can only access the core functionality of After Effects. Scripts are often developed to automate repetitive tasks, to simplify complex After Effects features, or to perform complex calculations that would otherwise take a long time to complete. Scripts can also use some functionality not directly exposed through the graphical user interface. === Extensions === After Effects Extensions offer the ability to extend After Effects functionality through modern web development technologies like HTML5, and Node.js, without the need for C++. After Effects Extensions make use of Adobe's Common Extensibility Platform or CEP Panels, which means they can be built to interact with other Adobe CC apps.
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Smoothing

In statistics and image processing, to smooth a data set is to create an approximating function that attempts to capture important patterns in the data, while leaving out noise or other fine-scale structures/rapid phenomena. In smoothing, the data points of a signal are modified so individual points higher than the adjacent points (presumably because of noise) are reduced, and points that are lower than the adjacent points are increased, leading to a smoother signal. Reducing noise by smoothing may aid in data analysis in two notable ways: Help uncover more meaningful information from the underlying data, such as trends. Provide analyses that are both flexible and robust. Many different algorithms are used in smoothing, most commonly binning, kernels, and local weighted regression. == Compared to curve fitting == Smoothing may be distinguished from the related and partially overlapping concept of curve fitting in the following ways: curve fitting often involves the use of an explicit function form for the result, whereas the immediate results from smoothing are the "smoothed" values with no later use made of a functional form if there is one; the aim of smoothing is to give a general idea of relatively slow changes of value with little attention paid to the close matching of data values, while curve fitting concentrates on achieving as close a match as possible. smoothing methods often have an associated tuning parameter which is used to control the extent of smoothing. Curve fitting will adjust any number of parameters of the function to obtain the 'best' fit. == Linear smoothers == In the case that the smoothed values can be written as a linear transformation of the observed values, the smoothing operation is known as a linear smoother; the matrix representing the transformation is known as a smoother matrix or hat matrix. The operation of applying such a matrix transformation is called convolution. Thus the matrix is also called convolution matrix or a convolution kernel. In the case of simple series of data points (rather than a multi-dimensional image), the convolution kernel is a one-dimensional vector. == Algorithms == One of the most common algorithms is the "moving average", often used to try to capture important trends in repeated statistical surveys. In image processing and computer vision, smoothing ideas are used in scale space representations. The simplest smoothing algorithm is the "rectangular" or "unweighted sliding-average smooth". This method replaces each point in the signal with the average of "m" adjacent points, where "m" is a positive integer called the "smooth width". Usually m is an odd number. The triangular smooth is like the rectangular smooth except that it implements a weighted smoothing function. Some specific smoothing and filter types, with their respective uses, pros and cons are:
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Spike (application)

Spike is a cross-platform email client and AI-powered communication app, available on Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android and the web. It has a chat-like, conversational view for emails with AI-powered inbox management and integrated collaboration features. Depending on the selected plan, it can be used solely as an email application or as a full suite of business communication tools. == History == Founded in 2013 by Erez Pilosof and Dvir Ben-Aroya, Spike is a software application that puts existing e-mails into a multimedia messaging, chat-like interface enhanced with video and voice calls. The application was initially named Hop. In 2019, the developers completed a $5 million funding round including investment from Wix.com and NFX Capital. In 2020, Spike raised $8m in a Series A funding round led by Insight Partners with the participation from previous rounds' investors. In 2021 Spike announced a collaboration with Meta to launch on the Oculus Store and would become one of the first productivity apps to launch in Meta's new virtual world, known as the Metaverse. In June 2023, the company introduced its corporate offering — Teamspace, a corporate communication platform for teams with features such as company-wide channels for broad conversations, private groups for specific topics or projects, direct one-on-one conversations, video meetings, file collaboration, AI-powered email messaging, and custom email domain. It supports file management, search capabilities, and project management. Built on open-protocol technology, Spike Teamspace enables users to send and receive messages from all email providers. Regardless of whether the other party is using Spike. == Company operations == Spike is developed and operated by SpikeNow LTD. Dvir Ben Aroya serves as Spike’s CEO and Erez Pilosof is the CTO. The company is headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel. == Mode of use == The app enables users to organize email into three types of "conversations,"a traditional inbox/sent format, by subject, or by people. Spike users can also make audio and video calls to each other, and other features include a calendar, contact list, and Groups. Spike is available for Microsoft Windows, MacOS, iOS and Android, and as a web version, and works with Gmail, Outlook, Exchange, iCloud, Yahoo! Mail and IMAP email providers. == Features == Since 2023, the platform features an AI-driven assistant, Magic AI, for customized email creation, document summarization, research, content generation, advanced note-taking, project management, and real-time translation. Since 2023, Spike offers custom email domain management. It supports team collaboration through Channels, uniting members globally with access to historical messages, and combines email with real-time messaging via Conversational Email. The Shared Inbox allows team collaboration on emails, while Groups support private conversations and invitations. It also features integrated video meetings, real-time collaboration on documents and notes, and email hosting with custom domains. Super Search enables retrieval of various content, and the Priority Inbox organizes emails by priority. Collaborative Tasks offer real-time updates and tracking. The platform allows voice message sending from mobile devices and integrates multiple calendar platforms into a unified schedule. File Management optimizes attachment handling, and the Unified Inbox consolidates emails from multiple accounts. Spike ensures data security with AES-256 encryption and private keys. The platform features AI-powered inbox management and communication tools. In May 2025, Spike launched its AI Feed feature, which automatically summarizes unread messages in a unified stream and enables bulk email actions. Additional AI capabilities include email composition assistance, document summarization, content generation, note-taking enhancement, and real-time translation.
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Audio-visual speech recognition

Audio visual speech recognition (AVSR) is a technique that uses image processing capabilities in lip reading to aid speech recognition systems in recognizing indeterministic phones or giving preponderance among near probability decisions. Each system of lip reading and speech recognition works separately, then their results are mixed at the stage of feature fusion. As the name suggests, it has two parts. First one is the audio part and second one is the visual part. In audio part we use features like log mel spectrogram, mfcc etc. from the raw audio samples and we build a model to get feature vector out of it . For visual part generally we use some variant of convolutional neural network to compress the image to a feature vector after that we concatenate these two vectors (audio and visual ) and try to predict the target object.
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Necrobotics

Necrobotics is the practice of using biotic materials (or dead organisms) as robotic components. Necrobotics can serve as an alternative to mechanical components that are difficult to manufacture by using biological components designed by natural selection in order to exploit the highly developed selective design implemented in biological lifeforms via the process of evolution. In July 2022, researchers in the Preston Innovation Lab at Rice University in Houston, Texas published a paper in Advanced Science introducing the concept and demonstrating its capability by repurposing dead spiders as robotic grippers and applying pressurized air to activate their gripping arms. In April 2025 researchers at Shinshu University created a “bio-hybrid drone” using silk-worm moth antennae to detect the source of a smell. In November 2025 researchers at McGill University demonstrated the use of a mosquito proboscis as a fine nozzle in experimental 3D printing. Necrobotics utilizes the spider's organic hydraulic system and their compact legs to create an efficient and simple gripper system. The necrobotic spider gripper is capable of lifting small and light objects, thereby serving as an alternative to complex and costly small mechanical grippers. == Background == The main appeal of the spider's body in necrobotics is its compact leg mechanism and use of hydraulic pressure. The spider's anatomy utilizes a simple hydraulic (fluid) pressure system. Spider legs have flexor muscles that naturally constrict their legs when relaxed. A force is required to straighten and extend their legs, which spiders accomplish by pumping hemolymph fluid (blood) through their joints as a means of hydraulic pressure. It takes no external power to curl their legs due to their flexor muscles' natural curled state. In July 2022, researchers in the Preston Innovation Lab at Rice University published a paper detailing their experiments with the gripper. Although dead spiders no longer produce hemolymph, Te Faye Yap (lead author and mechanical engineering graduate) found that pumping air through a needle into the spider's cephalothorax (main body) accomplishes the same results as hemolymph. The original hydraulic (fluid) system is essentially converted into a pneumatic (air) system. == Fabrication == Obtain a spider Euthanize the spider using a cold temperature of around -4°C for 5-7 days Insert a 25 gauge hypodermic needle into the spider's cephalothorax (main body) Apply glue around the needle to form a seal and allow it to dry Connect a syringe or pump to the needle Extend the spider's legs by pumping air in == Testing and Data == === Internal Force Versus Gripping Force === The typical pressure in a resting spider's legs ranges from 4 kPa to 6.1 kPa. Researchers extended the legs by increasing the spider's internal pressure to 5.5 kPa. Pumping air into the body increases the internal pressure, causing the legs to expand. Pumping air out of the body decreases internal pressure, causing the legs to contract due to their flexor leg muscles. When the internal pressure decreases to 0 kPa, the gripper would be fully closed, allowing for the gripper to grasp objects. This action demonstrates that as internal pressure decreases, the gripping force increases. Inversely, when internal pressure increases, the gripping force decreases. By gripping individual weighted acetate beads, it is found that the necrobotic gripper achieves a maximum gripping force of 0.35 milinewtons. === Spider Weight Versus Gripping Force === To estimate the gripping forces of smaller and larger spiders, researchers created a plot to predict the gripping force relative to the size of the spider. The wolf spider's body weight is relatively equal to the gripping force of its legs. The mass of the gripper is 33.5 mg and can lift 1.3 times its body weight (43.6 mg or 0.35 mN). However, with larger spiders, the gripping force relative to body weight decreases. For example, a 200-gram goliath birdeater is predicted to lift 10% of its weight (20 grams or 196 mN). Though there is an inverse relationship between spider mass and gripping force, larger spiders exert greater gripping forces than smaller spiders. === Gripper Lifespan === The necrobotic gripper's functionality is entirely reliant on the structural integrity of the spider. If the spider were to break down easily and frequently, the gripper would not be practical. Using cyclic testing, a series of repeated actions, it is found that the necrobotic gripper can actuate 700 to 1000 times. After 1000 cycles, cracks begin forming on the membrane of the leg joints due to dehydration. Weakened and decomposing joints lead to frequent breakage and replacement, thereby serving as an obstacle in applying necrobotics to real-world scenarios. One theorized fix to this issue is applying beeswax or a lubricant to the joints. Researchers found that over 10 days, the mass of an uncoated spider decreased 17 times more than the mass of a spider coated with beeswax. Lubricating joints combats dehydration and slows the loss of organic material. == Constraints == With the usage of organic material, there is a higher chance of the component decomposing and breaking down as opposed to traditional mechanical systems. There may be additional work and management required to replace these grippers if they fail. Additionally, organic inconsistencies with the spiders will yield inaccurate results. Not all wolf spiders develop the same, so gripping force and leg contraction can vary between grippers. There are moral implications behind euthanizing spiders for robotics. The ethical boundaries that necrobotics push in the pursuit of biohybrid systems raise concerns, as opponents say it may lead to the hybridization of mammals and is intrusive to nature. Proponents respond that repurposing dead animals has been human practice for millennia and that necrobotics should be pursued to advance science.
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