The Context - Artificial Human Sensors: Science and Applications - page 35

by an increased attention on the complemented perceptual organs. The redirection
of focus may not substitute the previous attained information level, but give the in-
dividual a meaningful compensation for lost information. Regarding a deaf-blind
individual, the most urgent sensation, according to a study presented by Ronnberg
(2002), is to get early information of when, how, and from where other persons are
approaching. Of importance was technical aids, which are dominated by visual
effects, and vibratory senses were preferred. Complementary devices may be con-
sidered to provide support with existing solutions, like an electronic sensor stick,
Sung (2001), with radio communication providing the individual an audio signal
through earphones, Debnath (2001), or as in Batarseh (1997), producing a varying
frequency of chirps that is inversely proportional to the distance measured.
There seems to exist a clear indication that individuals may compensate for
lost information from one or several sensing organs by complementing with other
similar sensing information in order to still make well, substantiated and struc-
tured ability and sensing performance. This decision-making strategy validates
and makes decisions out of a huge dynamic data stream. The strategy is today,
for example, used by business organisations in order to manage the huge amount
of often fuzzy, unclear and sometimes “nonsensical” information that changes
rapidly and can even be contradictory to each other. Also in military, rescue and
health strategies, the use of right decisions made by as much information as pos-
sible is of vital interest to find the best momentary decision. The critical issue may
often be to identify, evaluate and sort out irrelevant data (outliers) that could bias
the decision and result in a non-optimal situation.
With an additional sensor information system that provides us with relevant
complementation of the existing information and in a sort of loose connection, i.e.,
symbiosis with an individual, we have all the requirements to make more adequate
decisions and facilitate the experience of a richer world.
The methodology of measurement capability with humans in symbiosis with
an artificial system, is an emerging trend in measurement science. The methodol-
ogy deals with the estimation of quantitative and qualitative parameters between
human-computer symbiotic partnership, Petriu (2008). It exhibits a modified direc-
tion of symbiotic-human-machine technologies that has been used over the years
for the development of more efficient computational intelligence and intelligent
robot systems. However, this technology was originally aimed to be designed as
human-based autonomous machines, and to be able to function in a balance of
effective interaction with humans. The symbiotic interaction can be divided into
two basic and principal groups (and one group in between) with regard to the sys-
tem that interacts with humans. Additionally, a group in between, comprising a
balanced mix of the two basic groups is essential to identify:
- the computer supporting system,
- the human supporting system and
- all the varieties in between.
In one basic aspect, the computer supportive artificial sensor system contains sen-
sors that make the requested sensing and logical decisions, which are presented